A Sense of Duty
by xXNejiten4everXx
Summary: Neji Hyuuga is a swordsman, whose only duty in life is to protect and serve his kingdom, but his life takes a turn when he meets her, "Sorry, Prince Charming, but I am not a damsel in distress". Will he follow his duty or his heart? AU, medieval, Nejiten, rating may change
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Here is the prologue, or rather the appetizer/teaser, as I like to call it for, my new Nejiten AU fanfic A Sense of Duty.

I have turned the ninja world into a medieval world with kingdoms, kings, lords, knights, swordsmen, archers and so on. I was inspired by mostly role playing games and live-action role playing. I don't role play myself, but my brother does.

This is a love story between the swordsman Neji Hyuuga, a man of duty and the archer Tenten, a woman who is anything, but a damsel in distress.

The plot as well as the background of the characters will be explored throughout the story; some things may confuse you now, but as the story goes on everything will eventually make sense, hopefully.

Please keep in mind that the story takes place in a different era (No ninjas, no ninja powers, no tailed beasts), which has an effect on the characters' personality in some way, but I do try my best to stay true to the characters :)

Also, I have never learned anything about the medieval English, but I am trying my best to avoid using very modern word such as cool, awesome, amazing etc. Please bear with me if I use words that are not from the medieval era!

I apologize for any grammar errors /spelling mistakes there may or might be, I try my best to avoid as many as possible.

**Main pairing: **Nejiten  
**Side pairing(s): **Naruhina and possible others  
**Warning(s): **Possible OOCness, medieval era

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto!

* * *

**A Sense of Duty  
Prologue **

_17 years ago a large and powerful kingdom known as the Iwa Kingdom attacked the north-west side of the Konoha Kingdom. A war broke loose between the two kingdoms. _

_Many brave men sacrificed their lives on both sides, protecting their loved ones while following their duty; to serve their king and bring glory to them no matter the cost. _

_The war went on for over a year. No one wanted to give up. It was not until the king of Konoha grew weak because of age that someone decided to take a stand and stop this endless war. _

_This someone was a woman, a female, the opposite gender of a man, the lower gender, someone who was not a man. She took a stand. _

_The same woman, despite being a woman, was crowned as the first female ruler of Konoha. Not because she was the only living heir to the throne, but because she brought peace between the Iwa Kingdom and the Konoha Kingdom. _

_That is my goal in life. To be respected like her, despite my gender. This is why, I have promised myself that, no man shall ever look down upon me and live to see the morning light. I am my own superior. _

_That is a promise that I do not intend to break because I am-_

"Miss Tenten, did you even hear a single word of what the Lord just said to you?" A clearly annoyed man asked. Tenten stood up straight with a grin playing on her lips.

"Of course, I heard, sir! Clear and yeah loudly ehehe" Tenten lied obviously while she nervously grinned and laughed at herself hoping _he _and the Lord would be fooled by her act.

"Sure, you did, like you always do," He mumbled sarcastically under his breath and turned to speak to the Lord, "My Lord, you cannot be serious about this? This…this _girl_ is clearly a bad choice for such an important mission. She is going to be the downfall for all of us!" The man exclaimed while he pointed a finger at her.

"Do not insult me!" Tenten snarled after him.

"Insulting you? As if I would ever bring shame upon my Lord by discriminating you in his presence! I was merely pointing out your gender, Miss Tenten and please behave yourself then you are in front of the Lord" The man spoke with a calm, but arrogant voice.

"Do not tell me how I should or should not behave, you are not superior!" Tenten hissed at him angrily.

"But the Lord is and-" The man was cut off by Tenten, who smugly said:

"I'm sorry, but I serve no one, but myself!"

"Miss Tenten-"

"Please stop this ridicules argument, it is starting to get on my nerves!" The Lord finally spoke out.

"Yes, my Lord" They both automatically replied while they continued to send each other hateful glares.

"Good, now Miss Tenten, will you please explain why you were not listening to what I said to you?" The Lord asked calmly.

"Do not get me wrong, my Lord, I did listen to you. At least until you began talking about what I can and cannot do, which I could care less about since I do not like to follow orders from anyone, especially not when they are from a man," She looked him deeply in the eyes with fiercely brown eyes, " I do what I want and you cannot tell me otherwise" Tenten smiled smugly and began to walk away.

"Miss Tenten!" The Lord called out after her, but she did not stop walking.

"Come back, you ungrateful girl! The Lord has not allowed you to go yet! You cannot do as you wish and you can definitely not disobey the Lord that you serve! Miss Tenten!" The other man yelled demandingly after her in anger. She ignored him, just like she ignored her _Lord_.

When Tenten reached the gates, she stopped and turned her body a little to the side. With a sly smile on her lips she said in a low spoken voice:

"I do _not_ serve a Lord, I _only _serve myself" With that she walked out of the gates and out to the _real _world to pursue her dream…

…To surpass men in _everything_.

* * *

**A/N: **Done with the prologue! I hope you liked it and that it makes you want to read more :D

If you have any suggestions/ideas to either events that could happen, characters that could appear or anything else, feel free to tell me! Every event and/or character has not been decided yet, so maybe I might use or draw inspiration from your suggestions/ideas ^^

Leave a **review **and tell me what you think, your opinion means a lot to me :)

P.S. Sadly you'll all have to wait a little long before the next chapter because I am going on vacation and will not be back until the end of July. I hope you all can bear with me! I'll update as soon as I'm home again!


	2. Ch 1: A Sense of Destiny

**A/N: **Sorry for the slightly delay, I hope you will all enjoy this chapter and that it won't disappoint any of you!

I have uploaded the cover of this fanfic on my DeviantART account (link to in on my profile) where you all also will be able to see character sheets with the characters design to give you all a clear picture of the clothes the important characters are wearing; I also want to save you guys from getting too long and confusing clothing descriptions.

**Fun fact:** Did you guys know that the word 'fuck' was introduced doing the medieval era and was also back then considered a "bad word". 'Shit', 'crap' and 'damn' was also used doing medieval times, but they were not seen as highly offensive words until the 1700s. Another fun fact is that most swearwords doing the medieval era were linked to religion!

I apologize for any grammar errors /spelling mistakes there may or might be, I try my best to avoid as many as possible.

**Main pairing: **Nejiten  
**Side pairing(s): **Naruhina and possible others  
**Warning(s): **Possible OOCness, medieval era

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto!

* * *

**A Sense of Duty  
Chapter 1: A Sense of Destiny**

_A swordsman. A man of duty. A warrior and protector of his kingdom. Someone born to die on duty, fighting to protect those he cares about and his land._

_I am a swordsman, but I want to be more than just that. _

_I want to be one of them… _

_A knight, but not just any knight…_

_A Knight of Konoha. The knights that not only protects the queen, but the entire kingdom. My kingdom. _

_Back when the Konoha kingdom was at war with the Iwa Kingdom many died, but only few was remembered. _

_I want to be remembered. _

_I want to be named a hero, whether I die on the battle field or survive the battle. _

_I do not wish to be forgotten like-_

"Focus, Neji! If this was a real battle then you would be the one losing his head! So quit daydreaming and focus!" Neji's trainer yelled at Neji harshly. Neji had just barely avoided getting his head sliced off by his trainer's sword.

Neji took a step back and watched as a single stand of his long hair fell to the ground. He swallowed unconsciously and mentally cursed himself for getting lost in his own thoughts:

"_Focus, Neji Hyuuga! A true swordsman does not get humiliated, and a true swordsman definitely does not daydream in the middle of a battle!" _Neji grinded his teeth together and tightened his grip on his sword.

"Easy there, Neji, no need to get angry at yourself," His trainer tried to calm him down, "I am just here to help you, so that you can impress the Knights of Konoha and I do not believe they are looking for a headless swordsman" Neji's trainer joked.

Neji loosened his grip on his sword and took a deep breath before he bowed in front of his trainer.

"No, you are right. I was not paying attention and I can only consider myself lucky that this was just a trainings match, "Neji sighed out in defeat, "If it had been the real thing then I could consider myself dead, so I apologize for not focusing on our fight, sir" Neji finished politely.

His trainer gave him a weird look and smiled awkwardly as he spoke:

"Now, now no need to get all formal with me. I am just a mere trainer. It is YOU!" He pointed a finger at Neji with a determined look in his eyes, "Who is going to be the next Knight of Konoha, so act like one and you should do just fine impressing them" He assured Neji confidently.

Neji looked at his trainer. He was a little shocked by how confident his believe in him was.

"_Maybe, if it is my destiny then-" _

"Cousin Neji!" A voice from the distance called out after him. Neji turned and watched as his younger cousin, Hinata, ran over towards him. She was wearing a long, purple dress with a light yellow hem, which flowed as she ran over towards him.

"Lady Hinata, what are you doing here? Does your father even know that you are here?" Neji demandingly asked his cousin, who was panting with her hands on her knees.

"Father *pant* told me *pant* to *pant* get you" Hinata took a deep breath, "He wants to speak to you *pant* it's about the Knights of Konoha!" Hinata finished, looking straight up into her cousin's eyes.

Neji's eyes widened.

"_Uncle wants to speak to me about the Knights of Konoha! Could it be? Could it be that…" _Neji carried on before he took notice in the weird look she was giving him, which made him suddenly feel stupid.

"Ehhh Cousin Neji, are you okay? Do you have a bad stomach or-" Hinata was cut off by Neji, who placed his hand over her mouth and awkwardly said:

"My dear naïve, 'in-love-with-a-fool'-cousin, please forget the expression you just saw and do not tell a soul about it, okay? Good"

Hinata looked at him with a look that almost resembled a fish and stuttered out:

"H-how d-do you k-know about my f-feeling towards N-Naru-Cousin Neji?" Hinata blinked as she realized that her cousin had vanished from her sight. Feeling embarrassed with herself and her too obvious feelings towards someone she could never have because of her status, Hinata felt like burying herself.

"_I need to return to my chambers" _Hinata thought to herself as she turned on her heels and ran only to run right into the object of her affection, Naruto Uzumaki.

"Ow" She moaned out as she fell right on her bottom on the hard ground.

"Ow, that hurt! Watc-Oh Hinata, are you okay?" A worried voice asked Hinata, "I am so, so sorry for running into you! Please do not tell Hias-I mean Lord Hiashi of this incidence! I promise it will NOT happen again! Please spare me!" Naruto pleaded the shocked Hinata while holding both of her hand in his.

"I-I-I," Hinata's mind tried to think of what said, "I-it is o-okay, I-I will not tell father" Hinata stuttered out.

Naruto brightened up, and he shocked Hinata even more by hugging her out of nowhere. Poor Hinata's mind could not take anymore and she blacked out right in his arms.

"Ehhh Hinata? Hinata?" No reaction, "It is not time to sleep yet, Hinata, wake up!", still no reaction…

…

"I swear with God's blood I did nothing, but hug her, sir! She just fainted out of nowhere!"

* * *

Neji walked with hasty steps through the garden and towards the door to his uncle's private chambers.

His uncle wanted to talk to him about none other than the Knights of Konoha. The only question was: Why _exactly_ his uncle wanted to speak to him about them?

He stopped in front of the door to his uncle's chambers. Hesitating he ran his hand over the soft, wooded door. Slowing lowing it until it reach the handle and with one last deep breath, he pushed the door open.

The room kind of plain compared to the rest of the mansion. Bookcases filled with books in every corner of the room, which was lightened up by candles, giving the room a soft, yellowish color. Neji's eyes scanned over the room until they found what they were searching for. His Uncle, Hiashi Hyuuga.

"Ah Neji, there you are" His uncle spoke as he took notice in the presence of his nephew. His uncle was sitting far inside the room on a chair at his disk with a quill in his right hand. He was writing something, but what?

"Lord Hiashi, Lady Hinata told me that you wanted to speak to me about the Knights of Konoha" Neji firmly said to his uncle, who stood up from his chair and walked over towards him.

"You seem rather tense to me, Neji, is there a reason for that?" His uncle asked, ignoring his nephew question. Neji was almost startled by his uncle's question, did he seem tense to him?

"I… I am fine, uncle, just thinking too much, I guess" Neji obliviously lied to his uncle. His uncle gave him a skeptic look before he nodded his head in a slow motion.

"Neji," Neji looked up at his uncle, "I think you are in the need of a break, go out and have a drink or something" His uncle insisted.

"But uncle, I-"

"That is an order, Neji, now go" His uncle firmly told his nephew.

A few seconds passed before…

"Fine, uncle"

Neji walked out for the room. In the back of his head he asked himself:

"_What was it my uncle wanted to tell me?" _

* * *

Neji walked into a small bar. The floor squeaked beneath him as he walked and the smell of liquid made his stomach turn. He had never enjoyed the smell of alcohol, especially beer. That dry and bitterly smell made his nose wrinkle.

"_I really, really do not like the smell of beer and I am still asking myself, why I am here?" _Neji thought to himself as he scanned the room over. The bar was filled with men in all sizes getting either too drunk to stand or too loud to tolerant.

In other words: Hell.

Neji took a deep breath, swallowed his disgust and walked over to bar. He took a chair and sat down while he tried to ignore the noise around him.

"_Why are drunken people always to loud?"_ He asked himself without knowing the answer fully.

"Anything I can get you, sir" The barman asked him. Neji thought deeply to himself of what he should order.

"_Why am I here again? This is a waste of my time! I should be training, not drinking! I am not even in the mood to drink!" _Neji thought to himself before he looked up at the barman and said:

"Ehm a glass of red vine, please"

Not that he liked vine very much either, but it was better than that bitterly, rather smelly beer that most men seems to prefer in this bar.

"Of course, sir" The barman left the bar, probably off to find some vine, which ironically was not nearby like the damn beer was.

Neji sighed deeply to himself and rubbed his forehead while he tried to ignore both the noises and the smell of beer that surrounded him. A sudden loud voice broke him out of his thoughts and made him turn around.

"Unhand me this instant, you filthy scum!" An angry _female _voice yelled out loudly.

The entire bar turned their attention to the scene that was happening right in the middle of the room. A big, brawny man was holding a brown-haired woman by the arm.

The man wore a dirty, white shirt covered by a brown, leather vest and brown trousers while the woman was wearing a long, red vine-colored skirt and a white blouse, which was hanging off her shoulders exposing her collarbone and a bit of her ehm _female_ body parts. The woman also wore a brown corset over her white shirt and her brown hair looked rather messy from where Neji was standing.

Neji studied the situation at first unsure of what it was all about. But the woman's body language proofed to him that the woman did not like the way she was being treated as she tried to twitch her arm out of the man's strong grip.

Neji stood up and his right hand moved down to grape his sword, but he did not draw it yet. This was the duty of a swordsman, to protect the innocent and defenseless from harm. His destiny.

"Sir, let go of the woman or you will regret it" Neji threatened the slightly larger man. The man merely grinned at him.

"The only thing I would regret is to let this _whore_ get away without giving me what I want" The brawny man said as he turned his attention back to the woman, whose face Neji had yet to see.

The sound of fabric being ripped was heard when the brawny man took a step on the woman dress, which made a little part of it rip apart when she moved further away from him. As she twitched her body to free her arm the woman's already loose blouse was pulled down a little further, exposing a little more of her already exposed collarbone and the curve of her chest.

Neji tightened his grip on his sword and grinded his teeth together as a sudden anger raised inside of him.

"Sir, I am warning you. Let the woman go, now" Neji warned once more, this time ready to raise his sword if necessary.

The man turned to look at him again with a silly grin on his face, but before he could say anything something hit him right in the stomach. The brawny man groaned in pain and bended down to wrap his arms around his hurting stomach.

Bad move.

"Shit" He managed to curse out as he realized his mistake.

The woman was loose.

And before he could react a leg hit him straight in the face with full force.

*SLAM*

The man fell right into one of the tables with a bloody nose and a loud thump was heard afterwards.

"I told you to unhand me, fool" A somewhat cocky female voice said to the now unconscious man.

The entire bar turned towards it, including Neji, and saw the _presumed _hopeless woman standing tall adjusting her blouse before placing her hands on her hips and shaking her head to move her _surprisely_ curly brown hair away from her face.

Neji looked somewhat amazed at the brown-haired woman, who opened her eyes and stared right at him with fiercely brown eyes.

A smug smile appeared on her face as she spoke a sentence he would never forget in a long time:

"Sorry, Prince Charming, but I am not a damsel in distress"

Neji Hyuuga, say hello to your destiny.

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N: **Done! I hope you all enjoyed it :D

I decided to give Neji an inner monolog like Tenten because I felt it will be a good way to introduce him and at the same time show his goals as well as inner conflicts.

I hope it does not offend anyone that I use the medieval swearwords that are linked to religion because I mean not harm with it. I merely want to stay true to the era the story take place in :)

As the story goes on the chapters will most likely become longer.

Feel free to come with ideas or suggestions to the story, I might get inspired!

Please leave a **review **and tell me what you think ^^


	3. Ch 2: A Sense of Pride

**A/N: **Chapter two, finally! I had planned for it to be up at bit sooner, but my parents and friends surprised me with a surprise party, so I was not able to finish it as soon as I would have liked.

I hope this lives up to everyone's expectations, I really enjoyed writing it!

I apologize for any grammar errors /spelling mistakes there may or might be. I try my best to avoid as many as possible.

**Main pairing: **Nejiten  
**Side pairing(s): **Naruhina and possible others  
**Warning(s): **Possible OOCness, medieval era

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto!

* * *

**A Sense of Duty  
Chapter 2: A Sense of Pride **

Tenten stepped into the small bar. She needed a break after the long journey and a bar was the perfect location to do that.

The floors squeaked beneath her, the walls looked unclean, tables and chairs looked old, but it did not really bother her. Not even the thick smell of beer could scare her away. To be honest she actually quite liked the place, although she had no idea why she liked it.

"_Maybe it is because it is not a place for hopeless, submissive women?" _She wondered to herself with small, proud smile on her lips. Yeah, Tenten was not your everyday woman. She was her own person as she liked call herself.

Tenten began walking over towards the bar, which was located in the back of the room. She zigzagged between tables filled with men getting drunk, but as she was almost halfway something or rather someone stopped her by taking a hold on her right arm.

"Hold on a second, princess" An unfamiliar male voice spoke into her ears. She could feel his hot, smelly breath on her face and turned her face to look at who the fool was.

"_Who is he calling princess? I am no one's princess!" _ Tenten thought to herself angrily as she looked the poor fool over with angry eyes.

The man was big and brawny, he was wearing a dirty, white shirt covered by a brown, leather vest and brown trousers. His hair was brown and it looked like he had never taken a bath before, he even smelled like that.

"Something wrong , princess? Not what you expected?" The man asked with a grin on his face. Tenten tried to free her arm from his grip, but his grip only tightened making it harder for her to free herself.

"_With God's ear why did he have to seize my right arm?" _Tenten cursed to herself mentally while she tried to twitch her arm free, which sadly did not work.

"Unhand me this instant, you filthy scum!" Tenten yelled out loudly. Tenten saw how the entire bar turned their attention to them, but the man holding her did not seem to take notice at all as he merely moved closer to her.

He moved to touch her face, but Tenten quickly slapped his hand away and tried to twitch her arm free again. But he just would not let go of her, if only she could distract him long enough for her to do something.

"Sir, let go of the woman or you will regret it" An unknown man stepped forward and said in a threatening tone.

Tenten could not see who it was, but by his way of speaking he was most likely from some noble and rich family.

"_Great, just what I needed… a noble, rich and foolish man with a hero complex trying to play the knight in the shining armor! Just want I needed" _Tenten thought to herself annoyingly. She really did NOT need to be saved!

"The only thing I would regret is to let this _whore_ get away without giving me what I want" The brawny man said before he turned his attention back to her. Once again she had to deal with his smelly breath on her face while thinking of ways to make him suffer for calling her a whore!

Tenten took a step back and heard the sound of fabric being ripped. Suddenly she could feel the chilly air on her legs, which made her look down only to see a rip on her skirt, which exposed a bit of her left leg. She cursed under her breath and began to twitch her whole body.

Bad idea.

The man's grip on her arm did not loosened, which resulted in her blouse being pulled a little more down exposing more of her already exposed shoulder and collarbone as well as exposing the upper half of her chest.

"_I need to distract in some way, but how?" _Tenten asked herself, she was getting quite desperate seeing as her blouse was almost falling off of her.

"Sir, I am warning you. Let the woman go, now" Prince Charming warned the brawny man once again. This time Tenten took notice in how he took his attention off her and there it was! The moment she had been waiting for!

A cunning smile appeared on her face as she lifted her knee up high and slammed it into his stomach, knocking the air out of him.

*SLAM*

The large man bended over and wrapped his arms around his hurting stomach and he was so focused on the pain that he did not notice that he had just made a fatal mistake.

He had let her loose.

"Shit" He managed to curse out before she hit him right in the face with her leg. Tenten watched as he fell into a table with blood running down his face from his nose, which she had managed to break doing the impact.

"I told you to unhand me, fool" Tenten said in a mocking tone. She adjusted her blouse, placed her hands on her hips and shaked her hair away from her face. She opened her brown eyes again and stared right at the man who had _tried _to play her hero.

He was dressed quite fancy compared to anyone else wearing black trousers, a royal blue high-collared and sleeveless shirt with a yellow hem and a white blouse underneath. The only brown on him were his boots, his belt and his gloves. One thing that amused Tenten was his hair. It was long and pulled into a high ponytail.

"_I was right, it was a fancy looking, rich guy with a hero complex" _Tenten thought to herself.

And with a smug smile she said:

"Sorry, Prince Charming, but I am not a damsel in distress"

It seems as if time froze between them while the crowd slowly vanished around them, neither of them moved or looked away from each other. Neji did not know how to react or what to say while Tenten was waiting for him to either react or say something.

They just waited for the other to make the first move.

"I guess I will have to make my leave," Tenten broke the silence," Next time please do not try and save me, Prince Charming, I can take care of myself just fine" Tenten finished before she made her way out of the noisy bar. She did not bother looking back if she had she would have noticed that _he _was following her.

Tenten had only just turned a corner then someone took a hold around her wrist, her _right_ wrist to be exact. Tenten bit her lip and angrily cursed out:

"What is it with people and grapping my right side? Let go of my wrist, you- Oh! It is only you, Prince Charming" Tenten blinked as she realized that the person, who had taken a hold on her wrist, was the same person who had tried to play hero, Prince Charming!

"Will you please stop calling me that, I am not even a prince" Neji politely asked while he bit the inner side of his cheek. He really did not like being mocked!

"You are not? Could have fooled me with the fancy clothes you are wearing, not many men wears bright colors like blue and yellow you know" Tenten grinned at Neji while looking closely at his clothes.

"And not many women are as rude and arrogant as you are, Miss" Neji calmly said back at her.

"Who are you calling rude and arrogant, Lord noble and mighty? Also, do not call me miss!" Tenten exclaimed angrily at Neji.

"Then what should I call you?" Neji asked as nicely as he could, although he could feel his blood starting to boil. This woma-No _girl_, was really a pain! Why did he follow her again?

"The name is Tenten!" Tenten proudly said with a loud voice.

"Tenten what?" Neji queried.

"Just Tenten" Tenten replied with puffy red cheeks.

"So no surname?" Neji asked more precisely.

"Uh-huh" Tenten nodded her head with her arms crossed over her chest. Neji gave Tenten a suspicious look before he said:

"Neji Hyuuga"

"Huh?" Tenten looked questioning at him.

"My name is Neji Hyuuga" Neji said once more.

"Oh, okay," Tenten paused, "So does this mean we are done insulting each other?" She asked Neji unsurely. He looked at her with the same unsure expression before he answered:

"I guess so"

"Good because I was just about to call you a very feminine man," Tenten sighed out in relief before she realized, "Oops, it slipped" Tenten said while trying to look as innocent as possible.

Neji stared at her for a moment.

"_Did she just call me feminine?" _Neji asked himself. To think such an innocent little comment could hurt his pride so much was an understatement!

"I am not feminine!" Neji denied.

"With that long hair and such a flawless skin, I am surprised the man in the bar did not try to hit on you because you could easily be mistaking for a girl, especially if you wore a dress" Tenten teasefully explained.

"I have you know that long hair is a tradition in my family" Neji tried to redeem his pride.

"Well traditions are meant to be broken, especially the odd ones" Tenten said in a carefree voice.

"That does not surprise me" Neji mumbled under his breath.

"What do you mean by that?" Tenten annoyingly asked with her hands placed on her hips.

"Just… traditionally most women are not allowed to do as they please" Neji explained with an honest look on his face. Tenten gave him a small smile and said:

"Well I am not like most women"

"I can see that" Neji admitted truthfully.

"_Truth, I may not have met many women in my life, but she is the complete opposite of my cousin. I wonder if they could learn from each other" _Neji wondered to himself.

*Growl*

The sound of a hungry stomach suddenly echoes in the ally Neji and Tenten was standing in. Neji looked at Tenten, who gave him an awkward smile.

"I think my stomach has decided that I am hungry" Tenten said with a grin. Neji had an odd feeling that she was trying to imply something.

He sighed.

"Do you want to eat dinner at my place?" Neji proposed.

"Uhhh I would love to" Tenten smiled brightly at him.

"_Damn me and my politeness!" _Neji thought to himself as he walked out of the ally and towards his uncle's manor with Tenten closely behind him.

Neji secretly hoped that his uncle would not get any wrong idea about _this_.

* * *

Tenten looked amazed at the huge _castle _before her. It was a two storied, half-timbered house made of mostly brick. The front door was enormous and looked like it was handmade with detailed cutouts of leaves cut into the dark wood.

The manor itself looked very large in Tenten's eyes and she could not help, but wonder about the size of the garden. A house this big would most likely have a large garden to go with it.

"_A huge house deserves a sizable garden! I wonder if I will get lost in a house THIS large?" _Tenten wondered. She did not notice Neji walking ahead of her before he called out after her:

"Hello Miss Tenten, are you coming are not?" Tenten blinked at him and pouted her lips out at him.

"It is Tenten, not Miss Tenten! I do not need to be reminded of my gender all the time, Prince Charming" Tenten corrected as she walked passed Neji and over to the door.

Neji sighed.

"It is Neji" He mumbled as he walked over to her and opened the door.

Tenten blinked. The inside looked even more glorious than the outside. High ceilings, candles lightening a bright yellowish color in every corner and a red carpet half covering the wooded floor beneath her. The red carpet had been places so it looked like a route, a red route.

The large carpet covered staircase was the first thing that Tenten took notice in. It was large. The next thing Tenten took notice in was how warm it was compared to outside.

"How do you heat this giant place up? It is so big and yet so warm, most places in this size I have been in are quite cold, how do you manage it?" Tenten asked Neji as she looked around her surroundings.

"My uncle has a thing for fireplaces, so we got quite of few of them" Neji answered before he turned left and began walking.

"Where do you think you are going without me, Mister?" Tenten annoyingly yelled after him as she ran after him.

Neji sighed deeply and replied:

"Well firstly, I am going to find my uncle because I need to ask him if he would mind eating dinner with an obnoxious girl, whose lacking proper manner and secondly, just follow me please"

"Lacking manners? I have manners just so you know it and I am not obnoxious! It is called being headstrong!" Tenten ranted on as she followed Neji.

"More like being stubborn since it is impossible to make you see your own faults and flaws" Neji mumbled under his breath.

"I am not the only one with faults and flaws, Prince Perfection" Tenten mumbled right back at him.

Afterwards they both stopped talking since neither of them was willing enough to admit defeat. It was a matter of pride.

Silence surrounded them as they walked through the manor. Tenten looked at the many paintings of family members as they passed them.

"_Prince Charming was right about the whole long hair tradition. Every single family member has long hair regardless their gender!" _Tenten thought to herself with small smile on her lips.

Suddenly Neji stopped in the middle of nowhere, which resulted in Tenten bumped into him.

"Warn me before you stop like that" Tenten grumbled.

"Sorry, but we are here" Neji said with a firm voice.

"We are where?" Tenten blinked at him cluelessly.

"My uncle's study" Neji shortly replied slightly annoyed by her.

"Okay, why are we here then? I thought we were looking for your uncle, not his study" Tenten cocked her head to the side. Neji sighed out:

"This is my uncle's private study, he will mostly be in here at the moment, which is why we are here, Tenten, " Neji paused," I am going to go in and ask him if he would mind having you join us for dinner while you, "Neji pointed at Tenten, "Are going to wait her until I come and get you"

After Neji had finished speaking he turned around to knock on the door before he walked inside the room leaving a slightly grumpy looking Tenten behind.

"He should know never to order me around" She hissed under her breath.

* * *

Neji walked into his uncle's study and closed the door firmly behind him. The room was very dark, most likely because the curtains where closed off leaving only the light from the candles to brighten the room up. His uncle was sitting by his table writing something on a piece of paper.

"Have you gotten rid of all your tension, my nephew?" His uncle asked without even turning his back around to face Neji.

"How do you know it is me, uncle?" Neji asked his uncle, surprised how his uncle without, removing his attention away from the paper before him, could figure out it was him.

"How can I tell? Well firstly, both my daughters know never to come to me when I am in here and secondly, I had a feeling you would seek me out after getting rid of your tension," His uncle stopped writing and turned his head around, "You are either here to ask me what I wanted to talk to you about the Knights of Konoha or to ask me about something completely different" His uncle finished.

Neji did not know what to say, he was dumbfounded. It was like his uncle could read him like an open book, which both amazed him and disturbed him.

"Do not look so shocked, my nephew, I have known your since you were an infant, so of course I would know how you think" His uncle clarified. Neji bowed his head down and spoke with calm, well mannered voice:

"My apologize, uncle, I did not mean to disturb you doing your private time, but I needed to ask you something and no, it is not about the Knights of Konoha," Neji looked up, "It is about-"

*SLAM*

"This is taking WAY too long, what are you two blabbering about anyway?" Tenten invited herself in and asked with loud voice.

Neji felt his face turn red for utter embarrassment. What was he even thinking, bringing her along with him?

"_This is it, my life is officially over!" _Neji thought pitifully to himself.

"Neji, when I told you to go and relax I was not expecting you to bring home a prostitute" His uncle explained with an unreadable expression on his face.

Neji stared at his uncle with a frozen expression.

His pride was as good as dead by now.

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you all enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. We are getting closer to the point where the plot officially starts rolling.

Please leave a **review** and tell me what you think :)

Also, if you have any ideas or suggestions to maybe events, pairings or characters you would to see/happen tell me. Who knows, I might even use it or get inspired.

And be sure to check out the characters' design on my DeviantART account.


	4. Ch 3: A Sense of Emotions

**A/N: **Chapter 3 is up! I hope you all will enjoy it and that it lives up to your expectations!

I apologize for any grammar errors /spelling mistakes there may or might be. I try my best to avoid as many as possible.

**Main pairing: **Nejiten  
**Side pairing(s): **Naruhina and possible others  
**Warning(s): **Possible OOCness, medieval era

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto!

* * *

**A Sense of Duty  
Chapter 3: A Sense of Emotions **

"Neji, when I told you to go and relax I was not expecting you to bring home a prostitute" Neji's uncle explained with an unreadable expression on his face.

"_Neji, when I told you to go and relax I was not expecting you to bring home a prostitute" _

Tenten's mind froze and a sudden anger began to rise inside of her. Her blood started to boil, her limps started to twitch and every muscles in her body became tense. She lowered her head slightly, letting her bangs cover her eyes and bit her own lower lip. Her hands tightened into clenched fists before folding out like claws.

"So," Tenten spoke in a ghostly tone, "This is how the rich and wealthy greet their guests" Tenten bit her lip harder as she lifted her head up and looked at Neji's uncle with a look that could burn, "LIKE I WOULD EVER LOWER MYSELF TO SELL MYSELF OF TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER! EVEN IF I WAS SELLING MY BODY I WOULD NEVER LET ANY ONE OF YOU SELFISH, ARROUGANT PIGS TOUCH ME! NOT IN A MILLION YEARS!"

Tenten moved her right hand down to her exposed left leg and took out the dagger she had hiding on her left thigh. With the dagger tightly in her hand she marched forward with burning, brown eyes.

She was ready to kill in order to redeem herself!

"Tenten, wait!" Neji called out after her and tried to desperately to block her way towards his uncle.

"Move it, Hero, this old geezer deserves to have his head cut off for insulting me in such a manner!" Tenten angrily yelled at Neji while she tried to force herself passed Neji.

"Please Tenten, my uncle did not mean to offend you! He was merely being sarcastic" Neji tried to reason with Tenten.

Tenten bit her own lip even harder, drawing blood while she tightened her grip on the dagger and tried to bypass Neji, but Neji would let her.

"Let me through! He deserves to be punished!" Tenten loudly exclaimed, but Neji had taken a stand and refused to let her passed him.

"Be reasonable, Tenten, my uncle meant no harm in what he said, he just made a wrong assumption" Neji hopelessly tried to calm Tenten down, but the angry brunette seemed to be so determined in punishing his uncle that she did not listen to a single word he said.

"I want him to die, die, die!" Tenten shouted out loudly while she started to hit Neji's chest and shoulders. Thankfully, Neji was only hit with Tenten's fists and the blunt side of her dagger, not the blade of her dagger.

"Ow, Tenten, hitting me will not help you get your revenge!" Neji loudly explained while he bit his own lip to keep his focus away from the actual pain.

"It will once you give up trying to protect an old, disrespectful man, who deserves to have his head cut off!" Tenten ranted as she continued to hit Neji.

Neji sighed out.

"_Seemed like I have no choice, but to stop her using force" _Neji thought to himself as he lifted his hands up and seized both of Tenten's wrists.

"Let me go!" Tenten yelled as she tried desperately to wriggle her wrists free from his grip.

"I will not let go of you until you have calmed down and dropped your weapon!" Neji firmly demanded as he tightened his grip a little. Tenten bit her lip and shock her head to the side in frustration as she continued to struggle.

"No!" Tenten hissed with closed eyes.

"Tenten" Neji spoke in a warning tone. After a while of struggling Tenten's struggling suddenly ceased and her dagger slipped out her grip.

The sounds of metal hitting the floor echoed in the room as the dagger hit the floor beneath them.

".." Tenten did not say a word as she released her bloody lower lip while she held her head low, refusing to look Neji in the eyes.

"Tenten, are you-" A sudden outburst of laughter made Neji stop speaking. Both he and Tenten looked over towards the source.

_His uncle was the one laughing!_

Both Neji and Tenten stared dumbfoundedly at Neji's uncle, who was laughing. Tenten grew annoyed by it and uttered out with red cheeks:

"What is so funny, old man? Once Neji releases me I shall give you something to laugh about, your head on a stick!" Tenten began struggling in Neji's grip again, but once Neji had tightened his hold once again she stopped moving and sighed out in frustration.

"Tenten" Neji looked at Tenten, who flushes as she stared at him with an angry and annoyed look.

"You sure are one angry, little miss" Hiashi chuckled.

"I shall give you angry, little miss!" Tenten sneered as she looked at Hiashi with angry, brown eyes, "Let me go, Neji!" Tenten looked at Neji while she struggled to free herself from his fierce grip.

Hiashi merely chuckled at her while Neji was forced to tighten his hold on Tenten's wrists to keep her in place, much to Tenten's annoyance.

"Tenten, give it up! My uncle meant no harm in what he said, he was only being sarcastic" Neji tried to calm Tenten down once again.

"Sarcastic my bottom!" Tenten cursed out at Neji in anger.

"Neji, there is no need for you to defend me, you can let her go" Hiashi assured his nephew.

"Really?" Tenten looked surprised at Hiashi while Neji looked at his uncle in shock.

"But uncle-" Hiashi cut his nephew off and said:

"Neji, let her go," His uncle gave him a serious look and Neji released Tenten's wrists, "Now, young lady, tell me the reason behind your angry reaction"

Tenten looked at Neji's uncle with an unsure expression, how could a man she had just threatened act so calm and, dare she say, humble?

After a short moment Tenten looked at Neji before she took a step forward and answered Hiashi's question:

"My reasons are quite simple. I loathe being referred by my gender and to be looked upon as a submissive, lowlife woman, who would give herself willingly to the masculine gender. I am no one's property, but my own" Tenten finished firmly.

Both Neji and Hiashi looked at Tenten for awhile, neither of them said anything. Tenten felt somehow proud, thinking she had left them speechless, but then Hiashi spoke out:

"So if you are not a prostitute, then you are my nephew's lover? It was also about time he brought someone home, I was starting to get worried that-"

"Hold up, old man! His lover? As if I would ever be with someone as feminine looking as him!" Tenten pointed at Neji and took a step backwards.

"I will have to agree with her, I could never picture myself being with someone as rude and arrogant as her" Neji explained. Tenten looked at him annoyingly.

"Like you are any better, Mister 'stick-up-the-ass'!" Tenten exclaimed harshly at him. Neji and Tenten looked at each other with angry eyes before they turned their faces away from one another.

"You two even act like a married couple, fighting over nothing of importance," Hiashi chuckled, "Young love is such a beautiful thing, I think I better go tell the maids that they need to make room for a guest" With that Hiashi left his study leaving Tenten and Neji behind with dumbfounded expressions.

"How did my uncle.." Neji looked at Tenten, who returned Neji's confused expression.

…

"I know! Your uncle is a psychic!"

* * *

Hinata opened her eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling above her.

"Where am I?" She mumbled confusedly as she looked around her.

"In your chambers, Milady" A soft, familiar female voice replied. Hinata lifted her body up and looked at the female before.

"Ino, what are you doing here?" Hinata asked her handmaiden, who went over to her with a wet napkin.

"I am doing my job, taking care of you, Lady Hinata" Ino replied while she ran the wet napkin over Hinata's face.

"What happened?" Hinata looked at Ino with a lost look on her face. Ino sighed out:

"Naruto happened" Hinata blinked at her and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Na-na-ruto? Did something happen? Is he hurt?" Hinata asked with a worried look on her face.

Ino looked at her master with an annoyed look and sighed deeply.

"Lady Hinata, will you please calm down. Naruto is just fine, he is actually the reason why you are here" Ino pointed out.

"Thank God, he is alright" Hinata breathed out in relief. Ino looked at Hinata with a sincere look on her face.

"_I cannot help, but feel sorry for her. She is so hopelessly in love with that idiot Naruto and he is just so clueless about it! My poor Milady!" _Ino thought to herself as she looked at her master with a hopeless expression.

"HINATA!" A very familiar voice echoed through the room. Both Ino and Hinata were startled by it.

"Lady Hinata, I believe your father is looking for you" Ino assumed.

"Yeah, I believe so too, I wonder why," Hinata sighed,"Well… I better go" Hinata walked out of her chambers leaving her handmaiden, Ino, behind.

"_I wish Lord Hiashi would act a little more like a father to Lady Hinata, she needs some fatherly love and guidance" _Ino thought to herself sympathetic as she watched Hinata leave the room.

* * *

"He wants me to WHAT?" Tenten looked at the maids, who stood before her, with an outrageous expression on her face.

"Umm Lord Hiashi told us to give you a bath and to fix your clothes" One of the maid replied with a nervous expression on her face. Neji looked at the maid with a pitiful look and sighed to himself:

"_I really cannot blame her for being nervous. Tenten is literally trying to burn holes in her skull. I feel sorry for those girls, having to deal with that devil of a woman" _

Instead of saying anything and by doing that joining the conversation between Tenten and the maids, Neji decided to mind his own business and just observe from the sidelines.

"I heard you the first time, I was just surprise" Tenten explained with a much calmer expression on her face.

"Surprised?" One of the maids blinked, "Why?" She cocked her head to the side.

Tenten posed triumphantly, but did not answer the maid's question. Instead Tenten said with a proud grin on her face:

"Now show me the way to bathroom so I can _please_ your dear master"

"Of course, this way" Another maid answered as they showed Tenten the way leaving Neji behind.

As they walked Tenten could not help herself, but to ask the maids a question she had longed to ask:

"It is possible to get lost in this house?"

The maids stopped walking and turned to look at her.

"Of course, it is possible" One maid said to Tenten.

"But once you know the house" Another maid continued.

"It is impossible to ever get lost again" The third maid finished. Before Tenten could even respond the maids turned and began walking again. Tenten sighed to herself:

"_These maids are quite creepy, the way they finish each other's sentences. It gives me the chills!" _

"We are here, Miss Tenten" The first maid told Tenten as she opened the door in front of them. Tenten walked inside and was amazed by the sight before her. The bathroom literally shined! Like a beautiful paradise of white, gold and silver. It was like heaven!

"_If there is a heaven that is" _Tenten thought to herself.

"This is beautif-"

"Strip!" Tenten was startled by the sudden order by one of the maids.

"Huh? Excuse me?" Tenten looked at the maids with a raised eyebrow.

"Take off your clothes and get in the water tub" The other maid explained. Tenten stared at the maid with an annoyed expression, but did as they told her and took off her clothes.

After stripping off her clothes she got into the wooded water tub and looked at the maids with a questioning expression. The water tub was lacking something, _very _important.

"Okay, now wha- By God's arm it is cold!" Tenten yelled out loud as a bucket of very _cold _water was poured over her head.

"Emi, you take Miss Tenten's clothes and fix it while Ami and I bathe Miss Tenten" The maid, who had just poured water over Tenten's head, ordered with a soft-spoken voice.

"Understood, Yumi, I return the clothes once it has been fixed" The other maid bowed down and took most of Tenten's clothes except for her corset, her thigh holster with her dagger, her shoes and her underpants.

"Ami, hand over the soap and a sponge" The maid, Yumi, commanded the other maid, Ami, while she rubbed Tenten's head in a quite violent manner.

"Ow, be careful! My air is very sensitive and so is my skin!" Tenten managed hiss out before the two maids lifted her arms up and rubbed her armholes roughly with the sponge.

"_I think my skin is going to be rubbed off if this continues" _Tenten thought herself while she tried not to wince in pain from the somewhat rough treatment.

"_If this is how rich people normally take bathes then I am happy not to be one of them!" _Tenten proclaimed to herself.

* * *

Ino watched as her master, Hinata, walked back into the room with a lost look on her face.

"So," Ino started, "What did your father, Lord Hiashi, want?" She asked out of both concern and curiosity.

Hinata looked down at her hands and spoke with a somewhat mumbling voice:

"Well my father told me that my cousin Neji has invited someone over to join us for dinner this afternoon"

"Okay and your father needed you because?" Ino looked at Hinata with a questioning look.

"Well my father needed me because… well he asked me if I would mind borrowing some of my clothes" Hinata replied.

"I am sorry, Lady Hinata, but I do not get it" Ino admitted, "Borrowing clothes? Why and to whom?" Ino asked with a skeptic look on her face.

"Well it is because Neji's guest is a woman" Hinata clarified. Ino's reaction resembled her own when her father had told her about her cousin bringing home a _woman_.

**FLASHBACK**

Hinata hurried from her chambers to her father's while she wondered to herself; why he had called after her?

"_Father rarely yells, so it must be important" _Hinata assumed.

Once she had finally reached her father's chambers she paused for a moment, trying to catch her breath and keep her nerves under control. Her father always managed to get on her nerves, she did not know why. Maybe it was because of how he always acted so cold when he spoke to her, like he did not see her as a worthy heiress and daughter.

Hinata swallowed.

"_Now is not the time to get emotional, you know how much father hate people who shows weakness" _Hinata told herself before she took a deep breath and pushed the door open while she softly said:

"Father, you called"

Hinata walked inside of the chamber and looked straight at her father, who was sitting down on a big red chair. He was facing her and a small smile appeared on his cold face as he recognized his elder daughter. He laid down the book he had been reading and stood up.

"Hinata," He spoke out with a calm voice,"I am glad you could come in such a hurry"

"Of course, father, "Hinata bowed politely, "What did you want to speak to me about?" Hinata asked.

"I have a favor to ask of you" Hinata blinked shockingly at what her father had just said.

"_A Favor?" _She asked herself uncertain.

"A favor, father?" Hinata replied with a questioning look on her pale face.

"Yes, a favor," Hiashi smiled softly at his daughter's surprised look, "Do not look so surprised, dear, even I need help from others sometime, it is what that makes us all human after all" He explained.

Hinata blinked and nodded her head slowly while she said:

"I guess you are right, it is just… the first time you have ever asked for… my help" Hinata lowered her head, afraid to meet her father's judging eyes.

"Hinata, look at me when I speak to you. You are a Hyuuga, not a servant!" Her father's voice was harsh, but it was also strangely comforting in Hinata's ears.

Hinata lifted her head to meet her father's glance while she folded her dress nervously.

"Now, the favor," Her father began as if everything he previously had said meant nothing, "Would you mind borrowing some of your clothes to a guest?" He asked Hinata with a serious expression.

"A guest?" Hinata blinked confusedly at her father.

"Yes, a guest," Her father nodded to her," Your cousin, Neji, has invited a girl to eat dinner with us and she is in the need of some temporary clothes to wear while the maids fixes her own clothes" Hinata's father finished.

Hinata stared at her father in disbelieve. Her cousin had invited a girl over for dinner? Her cousin, as in her 'my duty is my life'-cousin? The same cousin, who has never really spoken to any girls, aside from his relatives, had a girl over?

"_This is just unbelievable! So cousin Neji has a heart after all?" _Hinata thought to herself while she began to wonder who the girl might be.

"Hinata" Her father called out after her, trying to regain her attention.

"Huh?" Hinata responded as she broke out of her own thoughts.

"Are you even listening to what I just told you?" Hinata's father asked with an impatient look on his face.

"I am! My apologies, father, I was just shocked by what you just told me" Hinata admitted. Her father looked at her and asked:

"About your cousin having a girl over?"

Hinata nodded her head and said:

"Yeah, Cousin Neji has always said that he was married to his duty and not to his heart, so it surprises me that he has found love"

"He has not" Her father stated out quickly. Hinata looked at her father confusedly while she blinked and uttered out:

"B-but you just told me he had a brought a girl over for dinner?"

"Yes, I did, but I never said he was in love with her. In fact, she seems to annoy him to know end and became rather angry at me when I thought her to be a prostitute" He pointed out.

Hinata stared at her father before uttered out:

"Father I cannot believed you called cousin Neji's gir-female companion a prostitute!" Hinata looked at her father with a shameful look.

"Hinata, will you be so kind and answer my question? Would you mind borrowing some of your clothes to your cousin's female guest?" Hiashi once again asked, completely ignoring his daughter's reaction to his previous confession.

Hinata looked at father for a moment, angry at him for ignoring her, before she sighed out:

"Fine, father, I will see what I can find for cousin Neji's guest" Hinata left immediately afterwards. She wondered once again to herself.

"_Who could this gir- woman be?"_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Ino stared at Hinata for a moment before she blinked her eyes.

"I am sorry, Milady, but did you just tell me that your cousin, the one who says he is married to his duty, has found love?" A shocked Ino asked.

Hinata rubbed her cheek with a finger in a nervous manner while she admitted:

"Actually… according to my father cousin Neji is not in love with the girl and the girl is not in love with him either"

"When why has he invited her over for dinner?" Ino demandingly asked Hinata, who looked at her handmaiden with an awkward smile on her face while she said:

"I do not know"

Ino looked at her master with big, haunting eyes while she spoke:

"And you did not ask! Shame on you, Milady!"

"It is not like I did not try to ask, my father just ignored all my questions," Hinata crossed her arms over her chest, "The only thing he cared about was me answering _his_ question, everything else I had to say meant nothing to him" Hinata looked down with an annoyed, yet sad expression.

"The one about borrowing your clothes, right?" Hinata nodded to Ino's question, but did not look up at all.

Ino sighed to herself:

"_Poor Milady, she just wants her father's acknowledge so bad that she feels sad whenever her father ignores her. Curse you, Lord Hiashi, for being so heartless"_ Ino looked at Hinata for awhile before she decided to change the topic and hopefully cheer up her master.

"So Lady Hinata, shall we find some clothes to this _friend _of your cousin?" Ino looked at her master as she asked, hoping for a respond.

Hinata closed her eyes and took a breath before she opened them while she lifted her head and looked at Ino.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea" Hinata agreed.

The two girls then began looking through Hinata's closet in search for some spare clothes for Neji's _female _friend.

* * *

Neji was sitting impatient in his chambers. He wondered what had made him go after this arrogant and hotheaded woman in the first place and why he was being so generous to her. He could just have left her in that ally!

To him she was very hard to read, extremely unpredictable and she had an ego bigger than the entire Konoha Kingdom, but a part of him was fascinated by how strong-willed and brave she was. He could not help, but admire her.

"_She is so different from me while I am bound to my duty as a swordsman. She is not bound to anything, she is… free!" _Neji thought to himself while he took a deep breath and stood up.

He felt somehow uneasy, like there was something is should be aware of. Question was just: What should he be aware of?

Neji blinked.

"_Tenten!"_

Neji hurried out of his room moments afterwards.

"_How can I just sit in my room and let the maids handle Tenten? That crazy woman even took her dagger with her, what if one of the maids pisses her off? I should have confiscated that dagger! That woman has a temper worse than a dragon!" _Neji grinded his teeth together as he hurried towards the bathroom where Tenten was supposed to be bathed in.

Without warning Neji forcefully opened the door to the bathroom and walked in only to freeze at a sight he had not expected to be greeted with.

Right in front of him stood…

_A half-naked Tenten!_

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N: **Well, well Neji is such an unlucky guy! xD I love torturing him way too much!

Yep, Ino is Hinata's handmaiden (A personal maid). You can say that Ino is kinda a mother figure to Hinata ^^

Longer than the previously chapter, but no worries the chapters will get longer as the story unfolds!

Thank you for reading, leave a **review **and tell me what you think :)

The next chapter might not be up as fast as this one because I will have my first school day this Monday! Beginning on a new education (Higher education) and new school, I am quite existed and nervous ^^'

Multimedia Designer education here I come! :D


	5. Ch 4: A Sense of Teasing

**A/N: **I am deeply sorry by the very long delay! Never thought starting on a new education could eat up my time and leave me tired every time I am free! I am so, so sorry! And I hope you all will enjoy this chapter and that it does not disappoint you!

A different side of Tenten will be shown and Hiashi role in the story gets yet another twist!

I apologize for any grammar errors /spelling mistakes there may or might be. I try my best to avoid as many as possible.

**Main pairing: **Nejiten  
**Side pairing(s): **Naruhina and possible others  
**Warning(s): **Possible OOCness, medieval era, mild mature hints (nothing graphic or explicit)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto!

* * *

**A Sense of Duty  
Chapter 4: A Sense of Teasing**

Neji stared. He just stood and stared blankly at the sight before him. It almost seemed like his mind had turned off.

Neji blinked.

Unable to find his voice or move his body.

He was frozen still.

He simply did not know how to react, he has _never _seen in a situation like this before! He has never seen nor pictured how a _woman_ looked like without most of their clothes!

And he felt oddly aroused by it… well his body felt that way! His mind… felt nothing, but panic and shame.

Panic because he feared this _woman's_ unpredictable temper and shame because of his _own_ body's reaction to the situation.

It was not like Tenten was standing there completely naked like a new born child! No, her _womanly _areas where covered, but only a little…

She was wearing white, short underpants and her hair covered most of her chest area, although it did not leave much to the imagination.

A cleavage, collarbone, stomach and the bottom part of her _womanly _chest were all exposed much to Neji's despair.

The messy, still wet hair was dripping small drops of water down the floor and she was looking at him with an unreadable expression, blinking her eyes as if she was just as speechless as he was.

Neji swallowed deeply before he managed to speak.

"By God's fist, Tenten put some clothes on!" Neji spoke out loudly before he forced himself to cover his eyes with his hands while he looked in the opposite direction.

A few moments passed before Tenten reacted to Neji's outburst.

"I would have loved to, but your stupid uncle's stupid maids took it and have yet to return it to me! Why does, _me_ lacking clothes bother you so much? It was YOU who walked in without knocking!" Tenten pointed out while she crossed her arms over her chest.

Neji started to sweat nervously. He, himself, was starting to wonder why he walked in without knocking.

"I-I only walked in because I realized that I had let you take your dagger with you and I wanted to confiscate it before someone gets hurt," Neji explained, "Also, I did NOT expect you to be looking like THIS!" Neji turned around to look Tenten in the eyes as he finished.

Tenten blinked at him.

"Like what? Half-naked?" Tenten then, took notice in how Neji reacted and a sly, devilish smirk appeared on her face, "Do not tell me that you have never seen the feminine gender naked before, Mister Swordsman?" Tenten teasefully bended forward while she pushed her breasts together with her arms creating a deep cleavage.

Neji felt himself blush as he forced himself to look away from the sight.

"N-nonsense, Tenten!" Neji denied as he turned his head away from the smirking brunette.

"Why so shy all of a sudden, Mister Swordsman? It is not like am not any wearing clothes because I am just not so much" Tenten teased Neji even further for her own sinful amusement.

"Will you cut it out, Tenten? This is not amusing at all!" Neji hissed at Tenten with heavy pink cheeks.

"But it is! It is very, very amusing" Tenten disagreed with Neji while she grinned at him slyly.

His embarrassment was her pleasure.

"_That female devil is going to be the death of me if this continues" _Neji thought to himself while he forcefully tried to look in a different direction, far away from Tenten and her half-naked body.

"Please Tenten, put something on to cover yourself up with, I really do not need people to get the wrong idea" Neji explained while he continued to look the other way.

Tenten frowned.

"You know, I think I know what you need," Tenten looked at Neji with evil expression, "A loving, heart melting hug from the superior gender, me" With that Tenten began walking over to Neji with slow steps and an evil-looking smirk on her face.

Neji finally looked at Tenten, who was coming closer and closer at him, with a panicking look and he began walking backwards slowly, but before he had reached the door Tenten jumped into his arms and Neji felt his face turning red while his mind turned off, once again.

A panicking Neji now had a half-naked Tenten's body pressed against him with a smug smile planted on her lips.

The two was so busy with each other that they did not notice another person walking into the bathroom.

"I am sorry for the delay, but I have some clothes for y-" The person froze and stopped speaking. Neither Tenten nor Neji took notice in the person at first, too busy trying to deal with each other.

"C-cousin N-Neji, w-what are d-doing?" The person stuttered out in pure shock.

Neji froze. He knew that voice!

"Lady Hinata?" Neji managed to say as he found himself looking at his blushing cousin with a shocked expression on his face and a half-naked girl pressed against him.

His reputation as a gentleman and man of duty was doomed!

* * *

"Ah, Miss Tenten, I see you have met my daughter, Hinata" Hiashi said with a little smug smile on his lips. He almost chuckled when he saw the redness on his daughter, his nephew and Tenten's faces.

They all walked in without saying a word. Hinata was avoiding eye contract, busy looking down herself while both Neji and Tenten seemed to try their hardest not to avoid looking at one another.

Once they had taken a seat down at the large wooded table in the middle of the even bigger dining room, Hiashi spoke out with calm asking voice:

"So, Miss Tenten, do the clothes suit your taste or it is too _womanly_ for you to wear?"

Tenten glared at Hiashi with a dark look on her face. She was dressed in a rather elegant looking dark green dress and looked almost like a _real _lady. The once, who does not attack other people.

"It is," Tenten frowned, "Fine" Tenten looked away with her arms crossed over her chest.

"My, my, what a transformation," Hiashi spoke out joyfully, "Neji, did you tame her?" Hiashi looked at his nephew, but before Neji even had a chance to speak Tenten slammed a fist down on the table.

All eyes turned to look at Tenten, who was glaring darkly at Neji.

"Tame me?" Tenten looked up with sarcastic look in her eyes," As if! In fact, it was quite opposite, I was the one taming him" Tenten exclaimed proudly with a loud spoken voice. This made Neji stand to defend his own honor.

"Since when? You where the one getting all touchy and…" Neji paused, "_womanly_" Neji blushed a faint blush while he forced himself to look away.

"Well you where the one who decided to walk in on me! I was merely teasing you, Sir 'I-have-never-seen-a-woman-half-naked'!" Tenten pointed out, making Neji's face turn a brighter red color.

"Will you please shut up! I thought you would never submit yourself to a man?" Neji looked at Tenten with a questioning look.

"And that is true! No man can make me go down on my knees!" Tenten stated out loud.

"On your knees or pressed against me, I really do not see the difference here, please explain it to me" Neji mockingly said with a careless look, making Tenten's blood boil in anger.

Neji looked at Tenten, waiting for her to burst, but rather than bursting all her anger out of him Tenten did something else. She took a deep breath, looked at his uncle before she pointed at his cousin and said:

"Old man's daughter, Hinata, please tell your _dear_ father what you saw when you walked in on us"

Tenten could tell, by the look on all their faces that neither of them had expected her to say or ask that. Hiashi looked at his daughter with a raised eyebrow while Hinata flushed and looked down at herself shyly while folding her dress with her nervous hands.

"Well… I was on my way with the dress and…"

**FLASHBACK**

Hinata was in a hurry. It had taken a little too long, finding clothes for her cousin's _female _guest. Hinata did not know the size of the guest and was therefore forced to look after clothes that could adapt to different body sizes, which was not an easy task when you have as much clothes as Hinata.

"_I really need to ask Ino to sort some of it out, I barely have time to wear all of it" _Hinata noted herself while she walked with fast steps towards the guest bathroom, where her cousin's guest was supposed to be.

Once she had reached it she noticed that the door was open and it sounded like there were people inside speaking with each other quite loudly. She could not make out what they were saying or who they where, so she shock it out of her head and walked over to the bathroom.

Hinata took a few steps inside and…

"I am sorry for the delay, but I have some clothes for y-" Hinata froze in shock.

What Hinata walked into shocked her beyond her own imagination. Right before her very eyes stood her dear older cousin, Neji, with a girl pressed up against him.

But it was not the fact that her cousin had a _woman _in his arms that shocked her, it was the fact that the woman was _half-naked_!

"_Oh dear lord, my cousin is a closet pervert!" _Hinata shouted to herself mentally.

The girl… well woman was probably a more fitting term for her cousin's _guest_ because she had the appearance of her woman and she, in Hinata's mind, looked absolutely beautiful with soft-looking, curly brown locks and matching brown eyes. The woman was beautiful.

Hinata could not help, but to feel a bit self-conscious about herself.

"_Maybe if I was as beautiful as she is, Naruto would recognize me?" _ Hinata wondered to herself before she with pink cheeks stuttered out:

"C-cousin N-Neji, w-what are d-doing?"

Hinata saw how her cousin, Neji, froze in shock before he turned his head around to look at her with very surprised look on his face and bright red cheeks.

"Lady Hinata?" He managed to say.

The two cousins just stared at each other, neither of them knew what to say.

"Well this is kind of awkward" A voice next to Neji spoke. Both Neji and Hinata looked to Neji's side to see that it was the woman, Neji had been getting cozy with, who had spoken.

Neji looked back at Hinata, who looked at the woman with a surprised look on her face. Neji, wanted to save his younger cousin's innocent mind from seeing things she should not see, managed to free himself from Tenten's embrace and decided to hide Tenten's half nude body by standing in front of Tenten.

"Lady Hinata, why are you here?" Neji gave his cousin a questioning look as he asked her, still wondering why his cousin was here in the first place. Hinata looked at him, although her glares sometime went to the woman Neji was with and replied:

"Well… father told me that you had a guest over and he asked me to find some clothes for her to wear, so well… I found this dress and I hope it suits your guest's… taste" Hinata shyly pulled the dark green dress she had been carrying forward for both Neji and Tenten to see.

"It was also about time someone came with something I could wear, I beginning to feel cold and we all know what happens when the feminine body feels cold" The woman joked with a somewhat cocky voice while she walked over to Hinata, not caring that she was practically naked.

Hinata stared blankly at the woman with pink cheeks while she handed the dress over to her.

"Ehm… m-may I ask who you are, m-miss?" Hinata nervously asked the woman, who looked at Hinata with raised eyebrow before she grinned at the shy girl.

"The name is Tenten" Tenten pulled her hand forward for Hinata to shake, "Just Tenten, not miss Tenten, not Lady Tenten, just Tenten" Hinata took Tenten's hand with a little hesitation and smiled softly as she said:

"It is a pleasure to met you, Tenten, my name is Hinata, Hinata Hyuuga" With that Hinata bowed down politely.

Neji, who was following Tenten's movement closely was in shock.

"_This cannot be real, it must be a hallucination! Tenten being polite?" _Neji shock his head in denial.

"Hallo hero, what is wrong with you? You hit you head or something?" Tenten asked Neji with lifted eyebrow. Neji looked at Tenten before he asked with an annoyed look on his face:

"Will you please explain to me why you can be so rude to my uncle and me, and yet be so polite to Lady Hinata?"

Tenten smiled at Neji smugly before she replied:

"Because Hinata here is cute while you and the old man are not"

Hinata blushed a deep red color while Neji paled.

"C-cute?" Hinata stuttered out confusedly with a blushing face. Tenten smiled at Hinata brightly before she pulled Hinata into a tight hug.

Neji stared at the scene with a pale face.

Hinata's red face against Tenten's _naked _chest.

"_Just great first she tries to kill my uncle and now she molesting my cousin, why did I bring her along? This woman is going to destroy the honor of my family and my life!" _Neji hopelessly uttered out to himself while he sighed deeply.

A few moments after Tenten released Hinata and went to take on the dress she had brought along with her.

"While I do not like overly feminine dresses, I really like the fabric of this dress. It is so comfortable!" Tenten joyfully pointed out as she had taken the dress on.

After that they had all walked together to the dining room where Hiashi was waiting for them to arrive, neither of them spoke a word while walking.

**END OF FLASHBACK **

Hiashi looked at his daughter with unreadable expression before he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I see" Hiashi mumbled as he looked at his nephew and Tenten with an expression that made them both feel rather uncomfortable.

Neji swallowed unconsciously, he _feared_ his uncle's reaction and was preparing himself for the worse.

"_I am prepared to take my punishment as a true swordsman for breaking the codex of honor!" _Neji promised himself sincerely while he closed his eyes tightly and folded his hands together.

Next to him Tenten was feeling a sensation of annoyance and discomfort. She did not like Hiashi's expression at all!

"_Everything about that old man just tends to disturb me to no end!"_ Tenten growled to herself as she looked at Hiashi with narrowed, brown eyes.

An amusing smile slowly formed itself on Hiashi's cold face as he with an amused look looked at his nephew and his nephew's _dear _guest. Hiashi chuckled to himself before he said:

"What a lovely surprise"

"L-lord Hiashi?"

"O-old man?"

"F-father?"

Hinata, Neji and Tenten looked at Hiashi with their mouths agape. They were all in pure shock.

Hiashi did not seem to have notice the shocking look on their faces as he just continued speaking:

"I have always believe that you where not one of those male-loving males, my dear nephew," Hiashi looked at Neji, who looked dumbfoundedly at his uncle,"To think that you have finally embraced your manly desires and not only seen the beauty of the womanly body, but touched it! I am so proud of you!" Hiashi finished while he whipped a fake tear away from his face.

Neji stared at his uncle with a pale face and red cheeks while Tenten was debating whether to kill Hiashi or make fun of Neji. Hinata, on the other hand, was staring with her mouth wide open in shock.

"L-lord Hiashi, what happened to you?" Neji almost cried out.

"_This cannot be the real Hiashi! The real Hiashi would NEVER say something like that! It must be some sort of trick, a dream, something supernatural! My uncle NEVER acts like this to anyone!" _Neji shouted out to himself, as he tried to convince himself that he was dreaming and when he woke up there will be no _proud _Hiashi, no annoying and rude girl with the name of _Tenten_ and no one calling him either _feminine_ or _male-loving_! Everything would be back to NORMAL!

"Touched me?" Tenten blinked at Hiashi confusedly, "No, no, no, I am afraid you are misunderstanding it all, old man!_ I _was the one doing the touching! Not him, me!" Tenten pointed out.

"You did not touch me, you attacked me, you crazy wom-person!" Neji hissed at Tenten with burning red cheeks.

"Quit calling me by my gender!" Tenten warned Neji.

"I did not!" Neji defended himself while Tenten lifted a judging finger as she said:

"But you were about to" Neji looked at Tenten as if she had gone mad.

"_This_ _woman drives me insane!" _Neji cursed to himself.

From the sidelines Hiashi and Hinata looked confusedly at the scene before them. Hiashi learned over to Hinata and whispered in her ears:

"I think it is best if you leave, Hinata my dear" Hinata looked at her father for a moment before she nodded her head.

"Ehm cousin Neji, Tenten, I am sorry, but I have to leave" Hinata interrupted the two, who quickly stopped their argument with each other.

"Huh?" Neji and Tenten looked at Hinata with confusion in their eyes before they nodded their heads slowly.

"Okay, Hero's cute cousin! Hope to see you some day!" Tenten said cheerfully while she waved at Hinata.

"I apologize for Tenten's behavior, Lady Hinata, please take care" Neji bowed his head politely.

Once Hinata had left, Hiashi finally spoke out:

"Now, where was I?" Tenten and Neji blinked at him. They had completely forgotten what had started their discussion in the first place.

_Hiashi being proud!_

"In the middle of humiliating your nephew?" Tenten had a big grin her face as she spoke.

"Acting out of character?" Neji asked, completely ignoring Tenten.

"Ah I remember! I was in middle of telling you, Neji, how proud I am of you for showing me that there is still hope of you having your own children, your dreams have not completely destroyed the desires every man has in their blood" Hiashi explained without removing his eyes of his nephew.

Neji felt himself broke a sweat under his uncle intense stare. His uncle was up to something, but what?

"Old man, are you finished because I have places to go and people to meet" Tenten butted in. She was looking at Hiashi with a bored expression.

"Tent-" Neji was about to speak, but Hiashi interrupted him by saying:

"Not so fast, Miss Tenten, I am afraid I cannot let you leave" Tenten looked at Hiashi with a raised eyebrow, as did Neji.

"And why not, old man?" Tenten asked while she looked at Hiashi with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, uncle, why not? I only invited her over for dinner and nothing else" Neji looked at his uncle with an unsure look. He simply did not understand his uncle's logic at all!

"I have a proposal" Hiashi stated with a calm voice.

"A proposal?" Tenten and Neji blinked at him.

"Yes, a proposal that involves both you two" Hiashi clarified.

Neji and Tenten found themselves looking at each other with lost looks. Neither of them knew what Hiashi had in mind, which worried them both. Tenten felt like Hiashi was mocking her while Neji feared that it would destroy his chances of becoming one of the Knights of Konoha.

"How?" Tenten asked coldly.

"How what?" Hiashi looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Tenten gave Hiashi a murderous look before she answered:

"How does it involve us and what kind of proposal are you talking about?"

Hiashi chuckled as he replied:

"Easy there, I was just about to tell you"

Neji and Tenten looked at Hiashi with intense looks, which Hiashi seemed to ignore as he began explaining:

"My proposal is that Miss Tenten can stay with us for 3 months and over these 3 months you two are going to learn from each other"

"Learn from each other? Uncle, I am afraid I do not quite follow you, what do you mean by that?" Neji asked while he looked at his uncle with a lost look on his face.

"What I mean is that you will teach Miss Tenten how to control her pride, anger as well as teach her some proper manners while Miss Tenten will teach you how to relax, be free and follow your own beliefs rather than to follow other people's beliefs. A give and take relationship to be more precise" Hiashi calmly explained to his nephew.

"Uncle, you cannot be serious? Learn to be free, nonsense!" Neji objected Hiashi's idea harshly.

"There is nothing wrong with my manners, old man!" Tenten yelled at Hiashi angrily.

"Will you two be quiet, I am not done speaking!" Hiashi shouted out loud, making both Neji and Tenten stop yelling at him.

"_Old man can get angry? Unbelievable!" _Tenten thoughts to herself with a surprised look on her face.

"_Lord Hiashi is angry and determined, there is no way out of this proposal and that is for sure" _Neji sighed to himself.

"If you two agree on my proposal and you both successes in teaching the other what they need to learn within the 3 months, I will award you greatly" Hiashi assured the two, who was looking at him with disbelief in their eyes.

"What kind of award?" Tenten pressed on, hoping that Hiashi would clarify what he meant by 'awarding them greatly'.

"Exactly, could you be more specific, Lord Hiashi?" Neji followed Tenten's example and asked his uncle for a better, more clear explanation.

"What I meant is that I can fulfill one of your deepest wishes by using the power I held as one of the few who knows the queen on a personal level," Hiashi pointed out before he continued, "For example, Neji, I could increase your chances of becoming one of the Knights of Konoha and for you, Tenten, I could promise you an audience with the queen, if that is what you wish for of course" Hiashi added.

Tenten and Neji looked with shocking looks at Hiashi. Hiashi's proposal was tempting, but what will happen if they failed? Nothing? Or maybe some sort of punishment? The thought made them hesitate a little.

"What if we fail the task?" Tenten suddenly decided to ask, "What will happen if we were unable to achieve success?"

Hiashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully before he answered:

"I have yet to think of something, but I guess you two just have to avoid failure at all cost" The look Hiashi was sending them was giving them both shivers.

"So? Do you two accept my proposal or do you not?" Hiashi looked at the two, who stared right back at him before they both smiled to themselves and replied:

"We accept"

Hiashi smiled at them before he stood up and made his way over to the door. He paused just before it and turned to look at them.

"From tomorrow the 3 months begins, use them wisely and remember, either you both win or you both loss" With that Hiashi left the room leaving behind a determined Neji and strong-willed Tenten.

"_I will teach Prince Charming how to live life like a man!" _

"_I shall teach that woman how to be woman!"_

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N: **DONE! I little bit longer than the previous chapter, but only a little! I hope you all enjoyed it!

The plot is now up and running! Let's just say it won't be easy for either of them!

I will try my best to finish the next chapter sooner!

Leave a **review **and tell me what you think! :)

P.S. I debating whether to change the rating to M or not, there will not be any lemon in the story, but there will most like be both violence and blood in later chapter as well as a mature undertone (although it won't be graphic, but hinted). What do you guys think? Should I change it or should I wait until I know for sure what "mature" content there might come in later chapter?


	6. Ch 5: A Sense of Struggle

**A/N: **Chapter 5! I hope you all will enjoy it because I really, really enjoy writing this chapter!

This chapter will have both humor, a bit of action and some seriousness as well.

ENJOY!

I apologize for any grammar errors /spelling mistakes there may or might be. I try my best to avoid as many as possible.

**Main pairing: **Nejiten  
**Side pairing(s): **Naruhina and possible others  
**Warning(s): **Possible OOCness, medieval era, mild mature hints, blood (but nothing gory), sword fighting

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto!

* * *

**A Sense of Duty  
Chapter 5: A Sense of Struggle **

It was early in the morning. Tenten was sleeping comfortably in a large queen sized bed while cuddling with the comforter, which her slim legs were wrapped around. She was breathing softly and the only movement she made was when she nuzzled her head into the pillow.

Tenten was truly feeling like a royal, but her peaceful sleep was not going to last long because of a determined, dutiful swordsman, who is just about to enter her room and wake her up from the sleep.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Tenten!" A male voice called out her name from outside the room. Tenten turned over, but did not wake up.

"Mmmm" She breathed out in her sleep as she pulled the comforter closer to her body.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Tenten, wake up!" The male called out again, but yet again it did no reach Tenten, who was still soundly asleep.

The male grew annoyed and took a deep breath before he took the handle of the door, forcing his way inside the room. Since Tenten was a too heavy sleeper to wake up herself, he was forced to wake her up himself instead.

The brown haired male looked at Tenten's sleeping form while frowning.

"_Looks like I have to teach her how to wake up early too" _He thought to himself as he sighed before he once again called out, this time louder than before:

"Tenten, wake up right now!"

This time Tenten reacted as she was startled awake. Breathing heavily because of the shock she had gotten. Her body was still holding the comforter closely to her as she turned her head around to look at the intruder.

"Hero?" She blinked at him.

"Please quit the name-calling, my name is Neji and I have already told you to call me that" Neji pointed out since he was starting to get annoyed by her still calling him names.

Tenten did not respond, but pouted her lips and asked:

"Why did you have to wake me up? I was having such a nice dream with me being the queen of world"

"Sounds more like a nightmare to me" Neji corrected much to Tenten's annoyance.

Tenten ripped the comforter off herself and stood up in the middle of the bed while pointing an angry finger at him.

"Quite!" Tenten hissed at him.

Neji froze and felt his cheeks heat up. He tightened his grip on the clothes he had been carrying before he tossed it at Tenten while yelling:

"For God's pride wear something to cover your chest off with when you sleep! The maid gave you sleeping wear for a reason!" Tenten fell down on the bed as the clothes hit her in face making her loose her balance.

She moved it off her face and yelled back at Neji:

"Why did you throw that at me?"

"It is your clothes, I figured you would want it back since it has been fixed now" Neji replied calmly without meeting Tenten's eyes.

"You could have giving it to me instead of throwing it at me, you bastard" Tenten mumbled annoyingly as she began to take her clothes on in front of Neji, who blushed and turned around to give her some privacy.

A few moments passed.

"You can turn around now, I am fully dressed now so there is no need to be shy" Tenten said with a slightly teaseful tone in her voice.

Neji turned around to look at Tenten, who was now wearing the same clothes she wore the day they first met each other.

_"Sorry, Prince Charming, but I am not a damsel in distress"_

Neji recalled the words she spoke to him and he began to wonder, why he had followed her after she left? And what had made him so infatuated by her?

"Say, Hero, are you coming? Or are you just going to stay here and stare at nothing?" Neji blinked as he realized that he had been so deep in his own thoughts that he forgot where he was and why he was here.

"Huh? Wha- Oh, right, "Neji remembered, "My uncle told the maids to prepare breakfast for us in one of the smaller dining rooms, after that I am supposed to show you around the place" Neji explained to Tenten, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow and asked:

"Smaller dining room? Do you mean your uncle have more than one? Why? One is enough, especially if it is in the size of the one we ate at yesterday because that room was huge with a big H!"

Neji groaned annoyingly and despite how much he just felt like _not _answering her, he did:

"What can I say, my uncle owns a big house and the larger the house the more rooms"

Tenten pouted her lips at him and stated:

"Old man's logic stinks"

* * *

*Clink* *Clank* *Clink* *Clank*

Out on the trainings field, not far from the Hyuuga manor, the sound of blades echoed as two swordsmen clashed swords with one another.

One of them, a blond male wearing loose, grey trousers, a bright, orange shirt with a white blouse underneath, a brown belt with a scabbard attached to it and a pair of brown boots, moved his sword forward to strike an attack on his opponent, a brown-haired male wearing similar clothes only with a red shirt on instead of an orange one.

The brown-haired swordsman quickly defended himself by using his sword as a shield, preventing the blond from hitting him. He then grinned cockily at the blond, who grinded his teeth annoyingly before he launched another attack, this time from a different angle.

*Clink* *Clank* *Clink* *Clank*

It echoed every time the blades clashed together as the two males continuously went at it on each other. Neither of them wanted nor wished to admit defeat to the other.

In the end they were both left panting heavily while sweat was running down their forehead making their faces glow a reddish color.

"So *pant* Naruto *pant* are you *pant* ready to *pant* give up and admit *pant* defeat" The brown-haired swordsman asked the blond, Naruto, while he tried to regain his breath.

Naruto grinned at the brown-haired and tightened his hold on his sword before he replied:

"No *pant* Kiba *pant* are you *pant* ready to admit *pant* that I won and you *pant * lost?"

The brown-haired swordsman, Kiba, merely grinned at him and tightened his hold on his swords like Naruto did before he said:

"No shit"

A few seconds after Kiba launched an attack, in which Naruto raised his sword up launching an attack to counter Kiba's.

The two swordsmen's swords were just moments away from colliding with each other than someone interrupted them.

"Naruto, Kiba, hold still your swords!" The intruder harshly ordered the two warriors, who froze in their stand.

"Why did you stop the fight, Hero? It was just starting to get exiting!" Both Naruto and Kiba's ear pricked as they heard the soft sound of a female voice complaining, and many seconds did not pass before they had turned their attention off from each other and on to the_ intruders_.

But just as they had turned their heads around, they both froze to stone.

"_By Hiashi's giant house why him?" _The both shouted to themselves in misery.

"Sir Neji?" They looked at Neji with fearful looks before they took notice in the _female _standing next to him.

They smirked perversely and ran over to her.

"My beautiful lady, what is a lovely lady like yourself doing here with the likes of _him_?" Kiba charmingly asked the female as he took her hand up and kissed it softly.

"Yes, fair lady, why are you with him when you could be with us, warriors of the queen" Naruto said with a smooth tone while he took the woman's other hand and kissed it just like Kiba did.

Neji looked at the scene and he could not help, but feel sorry for them.

"_Tenten, is going to kill them and serve them on a silver plate, I am so sorry Lady Hinata, but your crush is as good as dead" _Neji thought to himself as he saw a dark aura rise from Tenten as her clear brown eyes turned dark and shadowy.

"You two," Tenten darkly spoke,"How dare you call me lady and treat me like one"

Both Kiba and Naruto felt themselves shiver in fear as they saw the look the woman was sending them. The hairs all over their body were standing up.

"B-but w-we-" Tenten cut the two off by taking a hold on their shirts with both hands, lifting them half off the ground while she smiled at them with an angry glint in her beautiful dark, brown eyes.

"No one, I mean no one tries to flirt with me and gets away with it, pigs" Tenten draw the two males closer to her face, ready to send their heads clashing together, but before she got the change to do it Neji took a step in.

"Tenten, let them go" Neji calmly ordered Tenten, who looked at him annoyingly.

"Why should I?" Tenten looked at Neji skeptically.

"Just do it, they get it, they are just a bunch of idiots anyway so please bear with them just this once" Neji explained to Tenten, who frowned before she released them, sending the two down on the ground beneath them.

"OW!" The two shouted out in pain.

"Serves you two right!" Tenten pointed out proudly while she rubbed the none existing dust of her hands.

Neji looked at Naruto and Kiba, who was rubbing their sore limps, with a pitiful look while he sighed deeply to himself:

"_This challenge of Hiashi's is not going to be as easy as I would have liked it to be"_

"Ow, ow, ow I hurt my chin" Naruto moaned out in pain.

"Hurt you chin? I hurt my chin and my nose!" Kiba groaned in pain while he gave Naruto a challenging look.

"Well I hurt my chin, my nose and BOTH my elbows!" Naruto exclaimed loudly.

"Oh really? Well I hurt my chin, my nose, both my elbows and BOTH my knees!" Kiba uttered out. Naruto and Kiba glared at each other intensely.

Naruto grinned and said:

"I hurt my chin, my nose, both my elbows, both my knees and chest!"

"I hurt my tailbone!"

"I hurt my fingers!"

"I hurt my teeth!"

"Well I hurt where it hurts!"

"And where does it hurts? Your brain?"

"No, my man-" Naruto was cut off my Kiba, who slapped at hand over his mouth quickly after realizing what Naruto meant.

"Do not finish that sentence, Naruto!" Kiba warned Naruto with a pointed finger.

"And why not?" Naruto asked cluelessly. Kiba took Naruto's head close to his and whispered in his ears.

"Oh, right, the devil is standing right behind us ready to strike" Naruto spoke a little too loudly.

"And who is this devil you two are referring to, boys" Naruto and Kiba turned and looked fearfully at Tenten, who was glaring at them with warning eyes.

"Well… well the devil… yeah, the devil… is… ehm…" Kiba traveled on, only for Naruto to shout:

"Sir Neji!"

"Oh yeah, sir Neji, he is the devil!" Kiba nodded his head.

Tenten gave the two a skeptic look while Neji felt like killing the two right on the spot.

Tenten turned to look at Neji and asked:

"Neji, what are people like these two doing here in the first?"

Hearing Tenten say his name instead of calling him other names made Neji stop for a moment before he answered her question:

"I have asked myself the same question since the day they came here, but apparently my uncle sees potential in these two while I only see annoyance and bother"

"Potential in what?" Tenten looked at Neji with a curious look on her face.

"Swordsmanship, like myself" Neji replied.

"Really?," Tenten's eyes lit up, "How about a duel?" Tenten challenged Neji.

"A duel?" Neji blinked at her.

"Yeah, you, me dueling against one another" Tenten clarified more precisely. Neji looked at Tenten with a raised eyebrow before he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Well technically a knight should never fight against a wom-" Neji paused when he saw the look Tenten was sending him, "The opposite gender because it is not very honorable to do so" Neji explained to Tenten.

"So? Rules are meant to be broken! Also, was I not supposed to teach you how to be free?," Neji nodded his head, "Well then, here is your first lesson; never let rules hold you back" Tenten explained to Neji with a grin.

Neji looked at Tenten with skeptic eyes before he closed his eyes and smiled softly.

"Fine, let us have a duel, follow me" Neji turned on his heels and began walking off. Tenten followed him closely while Kiba and Naruto had yet to realize that they had been left behind.

"Where did Sir Neji and Miss Devil go?" Naruto asked Kiba, who shrugged his shoulders.

"I do not know, my friend, but I do know one thing"

"What?" Naruto looked at Kiba confusedly.

"I heard something about you hugging Lady Hinata, which caused her to collapse right into your arms" Kiba cocked a suggesting eyebrow at Naruto, who flushed at little.

"It was an accident! She was still breathing when I held her! I swear I did not kill her or harm her in any way!" Naruto defended himself with faint pink cheeks.

"You are one lucky bastard, Naruto" Kiba admitted openly with a smug smile on his lips.

"How I am a lucky bastard?" Naruto blinked at Kiba, who slapped his forehead.

"Nevermind"

* * *

Neji took on his brown leather gloves and pulled his hair up into a high ponytail. He turned to look at Tenten, who had pulled her hair up as well, and lifted his eyebrow at her skeptically.

"Are you sure you do not want to wear something else?" Neji asked while he looked at her clothes, especially the skirt part of it. Tenten merely looked at him with a calm and relaxed look.

"I am" Tenten assured Neji. Neji nodded his head:

"Well if you are sure then, here is your sword" Neji handled Tenten sword with a leather-like handle and a polished metal blade.

"Well this is one smooth looking sword, nice handle and a thin, sharp blade" Tenten said as she ran her hand over the smooth surface of the blade. Neji looked at Tenten questioning wondering if she had a thing for blades or something, but decided not to ask her about it and instead he explained the rules of their duel.

"Okay, this duel is going to be a so-called friendly duel that means no strikes towards head, stomach, neck or other sensitive areas, the winner is declared when one of use either is too exhausted to fight or gives up, have I made myself clear?" Neji looked at Tenten.

"Sure, sure I get it! No killing or blood spattering, got it!" Tenten waved Neji off.

Neji sighed.

"Well… let us begin in 3, 2, 1, begin" Neji exclaimed before he raised his sword up and moved forward, swinging his sword in Tenten's direction.

Tenten, who was a little unprepared for Neji's sudden attack, barely managed to block it using her own sword.

*Clink*

The sounds of the two blades echoed through the air as Neji and Tenten crossed swords with each other.

"I thought a knight was supposed to be honorable and that surprise attacks were a no-no" Tenten looked at Neji closely in the eyes with smug smile on her pink lips.

Neji smirked at her.

"I did count down before I attacked, so technically I did warn you" Neji then moved his sword to the left, aiming towards Tenten skirt covered legs, but this Tenten was prepared and she dodges the attack quickly by aiming an attack towards Neji arms, which caused Neji to jump backwards to avoid the blade from hitting him.

"Aiming for the arms? How dishonorable of you, Tenten" Neji said smoothly.

"You aimed for my legs, so why should I not aim for your arms? No arms, no way to use your sword, right?" Tenten smugly said while she cocked her head to the side. Neji closed his eyes and smiled to himself.

"I guess you are right," Neji admitted,"But, this fight is far from over" Neji pointed out before he launched another attack, this time aiming towards Tenten's shoulder.

Tenten lifted her blade up to block Neji's sword. Neji kept on pressing his sword harder down on Tenten's while Tenten tried her hardest to keep Neji's sword away from her.

"It is no shame to give up, Tenten, it is understandable when you consider that I am the best swordsman around" Neji tried to persuade Tenten to give up, not wishing to hurt her.

"In your dreams" Was Tenten answered to Neji as she moved her sword and quickly struck an attack.

"Agh" Neji winced as Tenten's sword managed to leave a small cut on his left arm.

"Got you" Tenten winked at him.

"Are you sure?" Neji looked at Tenten with a confident look which caused Tenten to look at him with a confused look.

"Wha-" Before Tenten could say anything Neji lashed his sword out in a quick, but powerful attack.

Tenten's sword fell right out of her hands as Neji forcefully hit it and it landed on the ground with the blade buried into the ground a few meters away from them.

Tenten stood still, frozen.

She had been disarmed.

She had lost.

"_This cannot be? I lost? To a man" _Tenten blinked shockingly, she could simply not believe it.

From the opposite side Neji stood, watching Tenten closely feeling unsure of the whole situation.

He had won, he should be happy, yet he was not! He felt bad, seeing that defeated look in her eyes left a bad taste in his mouth.

"_Maybe I should have let her win?" _Neji wondered to himself as he moved his hand up to his arm to touch the cut he had received by Tenten. He moved his hand off the cut and looked at the blood between his fingers.

She did manage to hit him, which not many could do.

Neji smeared the blood out using his fingers, watching as the blood slowly dried and turned a dark red color.

Neji looked up at Tenten again. She was still standing motionless with an emotionless expression on her face, although Neji could both see and feel the disappointment and sadness in her eyes despite how she tried to hide it away from him.

He began to wonder what was going on in Tenten's head…

_***Tenten's inner thoughts***_

"_Agh" Tenten moaned out in pain as she was slammed down on the ground, back first. _

"_Tenten, get up! I know you are better than this, stop hesitating and show me your true strength!" Her master harshly ordered her while he lashes his sword forward._

_Tenten winced and bit her lower lip as she felt the blade cut her arms various places on her, leaving behind small marks. _

"_Tenten! You wish to surpass men? Then stand up and fight!" Her master explained to her harshly while he gave her a doubtful look._

_Tenten bit her lip harder. _

_He wants to see her strength? She will show him her strength. _

_Just as he lashes his sword towards her again, she reacted. _

_His eyes widened, making her smirk despite the pain in her hand. _

_Beautiful red colored blood dripped down her hand and into the ground. _

_Tenten released the, now blood covered, blade from her grip and looked at her master with a dark expression as she said:_

"_You told me to show your myself strength, well here it is" And with that Tenten took her discarded sword and swung it at her master's sword, sending it flying into a tree nearby while leaving her master defenseless. _

_Her master moved to retreat his sword, but froze when Tenten lifted her blade up against his throat. _

"_Sorry, Master, but I will not let you go so easily" She smugly said with warning eyes._

_Her master swallowed nervously before he sighed and lifted his hands up while he said: _

"_Fine, you win and I give up" _

_Tenten removed her sword from his throat and he sighed out in relief while she smiled at herself proudly._

_She had finally won against her master, now she is uneatable! _

_No one can win against her…_

"_Tenten" Her master called her out. She looked at him confusedly as he held his hand out for her. _

"_Let me take a look at your hand" He said with a calm voice. Tenten looked down at her blood covered hand before she with hesitation gave it to her master, who began to clean the deep cut in her hand. _

"_Ow" She winced in pain as she felt her hand starting to sting. _

"_Take it with ease, Tenten, the cut you received is awfully deep, what were you thinking? Using your hand to block my sword, instead of your own sword? Foolish!" Her master started to lecture about her recklessness. _

"_You were the one telling me to show you my strength" Tenten mumbled to him with pouting lips. _

"_Your strength with a sword, not with your hands" Her master corrected while he sighed out. _

_Tenten watched as her master began bandaging her wounded hand. After he had finished, her master looked at her with his black eyes and was about to say something when…_

"_My Lord, what are doing here? We have an important meeting coming up and you are out here looking all dirty with that disgraceful, troublemaker of a girl" A man with long grey hair loudly yelled at her master… well Lord._

"_I was merely training Tenten, also who are you to lecture me? I am the lord here, remember?" Her master replied with a bored look on his face. _

"_As your advisor it is my duty to advice you and guide you, now get inside and take a bath before the guests arrive" The grey-haired man ordered his Lord, who sighed. _

"_Fine," Her master looked at her" Tenten, remember the only man who is allowed to defeat you in combat is me, you will never loss to someone who is not me, understood?" Her master declared with a serious look on his face. _

_Tenten nodded her head. _

"_Of course" _

_Her master smirked at her._

"_My Lord, quit talking and come!" The advisor yelled at his lord. _

"_Coming" Tenten watched her master sigh before he followed the annoying man while she stood behind watching._

"_Do not worry, master, I will never loss, not even to you" Tenten vowed to herself in a whisper. _

_***End of Tenten's inner thoughts***_

Tenten narrowed her eyes and bit her own lip softly as she recalled the promise, she could not keep.

"_Neji must think I look pathetic, I can just image the look he has on his face now" _Tenten thought to herself.

"Tenten, you okay? I did not hurt you when I disarmed you, did I?" Neji asked Tenten with a concern look on his face.

Tenten looked up at him, feeling a blush spreading on her face.

"No" She replied shortly, feeling a bit embarrassed that he thought he had hurt her. She was not some fragile little girl!

Neji looked at her with raised eyebrow before he sighed out:

"I am sorry if I by beating you offended you in some way, I did not mean to"

Tenten folded her arms over her chest and pouted her lips as she said:

"Quit trying to act so noble, just taunt me! I know you want to! Taunt me about losing to you and your superior sword fighting skills, I do not care!" Tenten panted heavily afterwards while she continued to send hateful glares at Neji.

"I am not going to taunt you, swordsman or not! Why should I taunt someone who has never been taught the proper ways of using a sword?" Neji pointed out, which only seemed to make Tenten look angrier.

"Fine, you got me! I am not a swordsman like you, I am an archer, but that does not mean I have never been taught how to use a sword, it is just not my weapon of choice! The bow and the arrows are!" Tenten explained with angry tone.

Neji blinked.

"An archer?" Neji looked at her confusedly.

"Yes, an archer! A master of long-range combat and a master of killing from the distance" Tenten proudly exclaimed.

Neji looked at Tenten closely before he started the chuckled.

"Wha?" Tenten blinked at him with a confused look on her face.

Neji did not stop chuckling.

"What is so funny?" Tenten asked while she narrowed her eyebrows and looked at Neji with suspicious in her brown eyes.

"Sorry, it is just… if you are actually an archer, why did you not challenge me to a duel in archery instead?" Neji asked after he had stopped laughing. He looked at Tenten and froze still at the serious look on her face.

"Because I promised someone that I would never loss in any type of combat to any other man, but him" Tenten explained with a serious tone and somewhat sad looking face.

"Tenten" Neji looked at Tenten with sympathetic look on his face.

"Please, do not give me that pitiful look! I do not need your pity!" Tenten told Neji. Neji walked up to Tenten and placed his hands on both her shoulders while he said:

"I am not pitying you, I am sympathizing with you because I know just how you feel" Neji looked Tenten deeply in the eyes, "I too have promised someone something, I wish to keep"

Tenten looked at Neji with a shocked look on her face while she blinked her eyes in both confusement and amazement.

She was left speechless.

Neji gave her a small smile before he removed his hands from her shoulders and bended over to retreat Tenten's fallen sword from the ground.

"Here," Neji held the sword forward, "You can keep it if you want to"

Tenten looked at the sword for a moment before she looked Neji in the eyes and smiled softly with smug expression.

"Nah keep it, I have no need of it anyway"

Neji smiled at Tenten and pulled the sword to himself before he looked at Tenten and asked:

"So, Tenten, it is almost time for lunch and your first lesson in manners, are you ready for it" Neji gave Tenten a challenging look, which caused Tenten to smirk.

"Of course, there is no doubt that I am prepared and ready for anything!"

Neji returned Tenten's smirk as he said:

"Well then follow me, archer"

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N: **Well that was chapter 5, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Kiba, a fellow swordsman and friend of Naruto has been introduced, and they both managed to anger Tenten xD

A little glimpse of Tenten's mysterious past, more about both Tenten and Neji past will be told as the story goes .

Leave a **review **and tell me what you think :)

P.S. next chapter will probably not be up as fast as this one, I have a big assignment that I have to handover this Friday. I have for the past 1-2 weeks been working on a portfolio website, which I will be focusing 100 % on finishing. Please bear with me, I will try my best not to leave you guys waiting for too long ^^


	7. Ch 6: A Sense of Manners

**A/N: **Finally chapter 6 is finished! I hope you all will enjoy it very much! ^^

Fun fact: The knife and spoon have since ancient time been used as eating tools in Europe while the fork first became a common eating tool doing the late middle ages, but it has existed for far longer!

I apologize for any grammar errors /spelling mistakes there may or might be. I try my best to avoid as many as possible.

**Main pairing: **Nejiten  
**Side pairing(s): **Naruhina and possible others  
**Warning(s): **Possible OOCness, medieval era, mild mature hints,

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto!

* * *

**A Sense of Duty  
Chapter 6: A Sense of Manners**

Tenten stared blankly at the stew pot standing in front of her on the table. The almost transparent white smoke carried the scent of the soup over to Tenten's nose, which only made Tenten grew even hungrier than she previously had been.

She looked down at the small wooded bowl and then took a look at the metal spoon next to it before she looked at the metal knife with a raised eyebrow.

"_If we are having soup, why do I need a knife?" _She wondered.

Neji was sitting on the opposite side of the table. He felt a bit disappointed in what they were having, not because he did not like it.

"_How can I teach Tenten the proper mannerism of a lady when we are having soup? Even Tenten should know how to eat soup properly!" _He sighed deeply to himself.

"Why are you sighing?" Tenten asked Neji out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Neji looked at Tenten with a confused look on his pale face.

"I asked you, why are you sighing?" Tenten repeated her question.

"It does not concern you, I can assure you of that, just me thinking out loud I guess" Neji explained with calm tone.

"I have been noticing that you have an odd habit of sighing, is there a reason for that?" Tenten asked while she looked at Neji with interest. Neji found himself flushing a faint pink.

"N-no, I d-do not sigh t-that often, you must be imaging things!" Neji denied with pink cheeks.

A devilish glint in Tenten's eyes and catlike smile formed itself on Tenten's face.

"Seems like I just found another weakness of yours, Neji" Tenten grinned like a cat.

"That is hardly a weakness, just you trying to make it appear as one" Neji told Tenten, who merely smiled and said:

"Never underestimate a bad habit, it might bite you from behind in the future"

Neji looked at Tenten with narrowed eyes and his mouth formed firmly in the thin line, trying to hide his annoyance away from Tenten.

"Let us just eat" Neji shortly said before he clapped his hands together.

A short while after a maid with light brown hair walked into the dining room.

"Master Neji, Miss Tenten, I have been sent here to serve you two by Lord Hiashi himself" The maid explained before she politely bowed down.

"For lunch, you two will be having a hot yellow pepper soup with bread and boiled carrots" The maid continued her explanation while began pouring the soup over to the two before she placed the bread next to the soup while the boiled carrots were added into the soup itself.

"What do the master and the miss wish to drink?" The maid politely asked.

"Tea, please" Neji replied before he looked at Tenten, waiting for her to answer.

"Ehm I really do not know what I want," Tenten grinned foolishly, "What do you think I should have?" Tenten asked the maid, who looked at her with surprised look on her face.

"What do I think?" The maid blinked confusedly.

"Yeah, you work here, so you should know what tastes good and what does not" Tenten reasoned.

"Tenten!" Neji hissed at Tenten.

"What? I was only trying to be polite" Tenten pouted her lips.

Neji gave Tenten a skeptic look before he looked at the maid and bowed slightly at her.

"I apologize for her behavior, she is…" Neji paused as he looked at Tenten from the corners of his eyes," Not used to things here yet, I have yet to teach her some proper manners. I hope you can forgive her for her careless behavior" Neji finished.

The maid, who was blushing a deep shade of pink, looked at Neji with a look of both shock and panic.

"I-it is o-okay, master Neji, I was not being fair towards your lady. She has never been here and does not know what we have to offer, it is my fault!" The maid bowed down before she turned to Tenten and said:

"Miss Tenten, I know Lady Hinata likes to drink pomegranate juice, so maybe you would like to drink that" The blushing maid told Tenten, who looked at the maid for a moment before, she while nodding her head said:

"I like Hinata, so I think I will like the same as she likes, I take it!" Tenten grinned at the maid, who nodded her head and left to bring the drinks.

Tenten looked at Neji with a sly smile on her face.

"She likes you!" Tenten pointed out loudly.

"No, she fears me and thinks we" Neji pointed at himself and Tenten, "are in love" Neji corrected Tenten, who looked at him with her mouth agape.

"She what?"

"Quite looking like a fish and eat your soup, I am sure you know how to eat with a spoon" Neji said to Tenten while he ignored the outrageous look on her face.

"Stupid old man, stupid hero and stupid maids with dirty fantasies" Neji could here Tenten mumbled under her breath while he took a sip of the hot soup.

Tenten took a bite of her bread and began chewing loudly.

"Tenten, close your mouth when you eat" Neji commented.

Tenten stopped chewing and puffed her cheeks up in anger before she swallowed the bread forcefully.

"Quit telling me how to eat!" Tenten hissed at Neji.

"Well my uncle did say that I had to teach you some proper manners, I believe how to eat properly is one of many manners I am forced to teach you, sadly" Neji explained before he sighed at the very end.

"What do you mean by sadly?" Tenten asked with an angry look on her face, which seemed to be steaming.

"Nothing, I am just wasting my time with a hotheaded, improper, "Neji paused to look at Tenten, "Individual, instead of using my valuable time on more important matters" Neji took another sip of the soup once he had finished his explanation.

"What kind of important matters? Being a boring, duty man?" Tenten raised an eyebrow at Neji.

"It is called a man of duty and I am not boring! I, unlike you, have things to accomplish while you sole purpose in life is to beat up men who calls you a woman and annoy me!" Neji harshly explained to Tenten, who reacted by slamming her hands down on the table while standing up.

"You think you have me all figured out, well you have not! I do, in fact, have things to accomplish, not that it is any of your concern! My goal is mine alone and I could care less what a rich, little, sword fighter like you think of me, as long as I know who I am and what I wish to accomplish with my life, everything is just fine!" Tenten shouted out loud, making Neji's eyes open wide in shock.

A silence followed.

Neither of them spoke a single word.

Tenten was panting due to yelling while Neji had been left speechless by Tenten's sudden outburst.

Had he been judging her too hard?

"_Stop blaming yourself! It is her own fault that I have judged her as someone without any goals, without any boundaries" _Neji reasoned with himself as he suddenly had a bad feeling in his stomach and it was not the food.

No, he felt guilty for judging Tenten unfairly.

"Sorry" Neji suddenly said out of nowhere.

Tenten blinked at him as Neji stood up.

"Huh?" She looked at him confusedly.

"I apologize for judging you before even knowing you properly, it was very unfairly of me to do so" Neji took Tenten's hands in his and looked her in the eyes sincerely as he spoke.

*Clash*

The sound of something making apart on the floor echoed through the room. Both Neji and Tenten broke out of their little moment to look towards the sound with eyes open wide.

"I-I apologize for interrupting" The maid from before stuttered out while blushing.

Neji and Tenten looked at the maid with lifted eyebrows before they both realized that they were still holding hands.

"Let go of my hands!" Tenten ordered Neji.

"Why did I apologize to you again? Because I am considering taking it back" Neji said while he released Tenten's hands.

"You already apologized and I do not like returning things" Tenten pointed out.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Neji groaned.

"Hehe" Tenten grinned.

From the sidelines the blushing maid watched the two bicker at each other while she mumbled:

"The sexual tension between them is too strong to ignore, Master Neji has finally found his princess" The maid dreamily sighed.

* * *

"I have to admit Neji's taste in women is surprising! I mean sure she is really and mean really good looking, but by God's stinky feet she can be scary!" Kiba ranted on about Neji's _friend_ to Naruto, who nodded his head as he agreed:

"Very scary, I almost wetted my pants because of her!" Kiba gave Naruto are nauseated look.

"Too much information, Naruto, I really did not need to know that" Kiba told Naruto with a disturbed look on his face.

"Oh sorry, my bad, it kind of slipped" Naruto grinned awkwardly at Kiba, who replied by saying:

"Well, let us just be glad that Lady Hinata is not like that woman. She, unlike miss devil, is kind, nice and sweet, not to mention really cute"

Naruto nodded his head eagerly.

"Yeah, yeah, Lady Hinata is sooo kind!" Naruto shouted out loud with eagerness. Kiba grinned at his friend and was about to say something when…

"LADY HINATA, WHAT HAPPENED? ARE YOU OKAY?" A female voice shouted out so loud that it echoed through the area near Naruto and Kiba.

Kiba looked at Naruto suspiciously.

"Naruto, did you do something?"

Naruto looked at Kiba with his mouth agape, completely speechless.

"B-but how can I be over there, if I am here?" Naruto asked Kiba with a confused look on her face.

"Oh right, you got a point there, it is just normally whenever something happens to Lady Hinata it is mostly because of you" Kiba pointed out.

"Why mostly me? What do I do wrong?" Naruto blinked with a lost expression.

"I do not know, but whatever it is Lady Hinata must be allergic to it" Kiba concluded.

"So, she is allergic to me?" Naruto asked while he cocked his head to the side. Kiba shrugged and answered:

"How should I know? I am not physician"

"NARUTO UZUMAKI!" An extremely angry female voice yelled out loud. Kiba looked at Naruto with big, shocking looking eyes.

"So you did do something!"

"What? No!" Naruto objected.

Suddenly an angry looking blond-haired woman walked towards the two males with a dark aura surrounding her and a look on her face that could scare away everything that moves.

"Na-ru-to U-zu-ma-ki!" The woman said with step she took forward towards them.

"Ahhhh the devil's sister! Please spare me for whatever I did! Have mercy! I am innocent, in more than one way!" Naruto pleaded endlessly as the woman took him by the collar of his shirt and looked deep into his eyes.

"Why did you have to say that out loud?" The blond asked Naruto harshly.

Naruto blinked confusedly at her and asked:

"Say what out loud?"

The woman's grip on his collar tightened and she pulled him closer. Naruto could feel the heat of her anger against his forehead.

"Do not play stupid with me! You yelled something out loud, which made Lady Hinata faint!" The blond woman explained.

"Oh," Naruto stared for a moment before he grinned foolishly, "All I said was that Lady Hinata was kind" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"You fool!" The blond woman yelled out loudly as she smashed Naruto down to the ground.

"Ouch, that must have hurt" Kiba winced.

"Do not think I have not seen you, Kiba Inuzuka!" The woman pointed out, looking at Kiba with angry blue eyes.

"_Wow such beautiful blue eyes"_ Kiba thought to himself as she found himself staring at the blond women's blue eyes.

"Quit staring, pervert!" The woman shouted out after him.

"I was not staring! Just looking!" Kiba denied with a panicking look on his face.

"Hmph" Was the woman's angry respond before she nudged at Naruto with her feet:

"Wake up, I am not done lecturing you!"

Meanwhile Kiba was just staring dreamily at the angry female, looking her up and down while mumbling:

"I think I understand why sir Neji likes that angry brunette, the anger just makes them look even more beautiful!"

Suddenly Kiba was hit in the face by a shoe.

"Ow!" He moaned out in pain as he fell to the ground.

"I told you to stop staring!"

* * *

"Well that was one tasty soup! Remind me to thank the cook" Tenten told Neji with pleased looking expression.

Neji gave Tenten a small smile, which confused Tenten.

"Why are looking at me with that expression? It is kind of freaking me out" Tenten shivered.

Neji chuckled before he replied by saying:

"I am merely expressing my joy of hearing nice words, for once, coming out of that mouth of yours"

Tenten pursed her lips and lowed her eyebrows with a suspicious look on her face.

"You are hiding something," Tenten pointed out, "Tell me what are you hiding?" Tenten demandingly asked Neji, who denied her accusations:

"Nonsense, you are being unreadable, what would I even hide?"

"You tell me because I do not know, all I know is that there is something you are not telling me" Tenten pointed out while she stared Neji intensely in the eyes.

Neji stared right back at Tenten with narrowed eyes before he sighed and closed his eyes.

"Not telling you anything since it does not concern you!" Neji said as he turned around.

Tenten face heated up in pure annoyance of knowing Neji was hiding something and that he refused to tell her what! The nerve of him! How dare he push her curiosity so far? What can she do to make him tell her?

"_Wait a minute!"_ Something in Tenten's eyes started to spark as she got an idea that if she had luck on her side could help her make that Neji speak out.

"Tenten, why do-" Neji froze as he suddenly felt the pressure of a soft body pressing against his hard one.

"_Tenten is hugging me!" _Neji mind screamed as he felt his blood go to his cheeks.

He swallowed nervously while he tried to keep his breath calm.

"_Sir_ Neji" Neji heard Tenten purred in a whisper into his ear while he felt her warm breath on his earlobe and the back of his neck.

"T-Tenten?" Neji managed to speak out with low tone.

"Tell me what you are hiding, sir Neji or should I call you _Master_ Neji?" Neji could just imaging the sly smirk on Tenten's face.

She was doing this on purpose!

Neji smirked to himself.

"_Well, two can play that game"_ Neji smugly thought to himself before decided to play along with Tenten and her little games.

Neji turned around to face Tenten while he wrapped his arms around Tenten's slim waist and pulled her closer to him to Tenten's great shock.

"I am sorry, _Lady_ Tenten, but I am afraid I cannot tell you" Neji explained to Tenten with smooth sounding tone.

Tenten blushed a little and puffed her cheeks up before she hit Neji on the head with her fist.

"Ow!" Neji winced as he held on to his, now hurting, head.

"That is what you get for calling me 'lady'! I am not a lady!" Tenten loudly explained.

Neji sighed to himself.

"Well you were the one, who started it by calling me 'sir' and 'master'" Neji pointed out.

"Hmph!"

"How about a duel in archery, Tenten? Maybe that could clear as well as calm your mind" Neji suggested.

"Nah, not in the mood" Tenten yawned.

"And why not? Scared?" Neji smirked at Tenten. Tenten's face turned a slightly angry red color before she said with her cheeks puffed up:

"No, I just cannot duel you, at least not at the moment"

"And why is that? If you need a bow, then you can just borrow one, we got plenty" Neji told Tenten, who shook her head:

"No, that will not do, I need to use my own equipment"

Neji looked at Tenten for a while, waiting for her to do something, but Tenten did not make a single bit of movement.

"Okay, then go get it" Neji finally decided to break the silence.

"I am afraid I cannot" Tenten informed Neji, who gave her a weird expression.

"May I ask why you cannot?" Neji asked.

"I left it at home!" Tenten exclaimed out loudly. Neji literally fell over.

"What?!"

"But it is on its way!" Tenten added. Neji stood up again.

"Really? So when will it arrive?" Neji asked while he tried to conceal his embarrassment for falling over.

"I have no idea! It took me 4 days to get here" Tenten rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Neji looked at Tenten with shocked expression.

"4 days?" Tenten nodded her head, "Now that you mention it, where do you even come from?" Neji looked at Tenten with a questioning look.

"Where I come from?" Tenten rubbed her chin, "A small town just outside of the Suna Kingdom" Tenten answered.

Neji looked at Tenten with shocking eyes.

"And you traveled alone?" Tenten nodded her head, "Without your archery equipment?" Again Tenten nodded her head, "In other words you traveled alone, weaponless"

"What! No! Not weaponless!" Tenten corrected while she lifted her skirt up high, exposing her left smooth looking thigh and the dagger, which was secured around her thigh by some kind of belt made out of brown leather.

A faint redness slowly started to appear on Neji's pale cheeks as Neji realized that Tenten had raised her skirt a little too high, not only was she showing him the dagger on her thigh, but a little bit of her underpants.

A picture of the half-naked Tenten he walked in on appeared in his mind.

"_Quit picturing yesterday's incident!" _Neji cursed to himself.

Neji quickly shock the picture of Tenten's half-naked body and her white undergarment off his mind as Tenten started to speak:

"See," Tenten referred to the dagger on her thigh, "Not weaponless"

Neji raised an eyebrow and looked at the exposed thigh skeptically.

"While you may be skilled at using your dagger, I highly doubt it would be helpful if you were ambushed by robbers" Neji asserted.

Tenten looked at Neji smugly as she removed her dagger from the belt around her thigh and without even looking at her surrounding throw it at the tree standing behind them.

Bulls-eyes!

The dagger hit right in the middle of the tree and left Neji in shock.

"How… how did you do that?" Neji looked at Tenten, who grinned at him smugly.

"Not to brag, but I am more than just your average archer! In fact, I am the best archer you will ever meet on the northern continent!" Tenten replied with proud, yet cocky smile playing on her lips.

Neji was about to say something then a loud voice yelled out loud:

"LADY HINATA, WHAT HAPPENED? ARE YOU OKAY?"

Both Neji and Tenten were startled by it.

"I think our conversation ends here, Tenten, I better go see if Lady Hinata is alright" Neji explained to Tenten before he ran off.

"Wait up, Hero! I am coming with you!" Tenten yelled after Neji as she followed him.

* * *

"Okay, what exactly happened to her? She looks fine to me, aside from being unconscious" Tenten said while she looked confusedly down at the unconscious Hinata, who was lying on the ground with a piece of thick fabric underneath her head, supporting her head like a pillow.

Hinata looked like she was peacefully asleep to Tenten.

"If I have to guess, I will have to say that there is only one person I know, who can make Hinata faint in the middle of nowhere" Neji explained while he looked at his cousin pitifully.

Tenten looked at Neji curiously and asked him:

"Who?"

Neji's eyes narrowed as he answered:

"Naruto Uzumaki"

Tenten gave Neji an outrageous look.

"Really? Him? Why? Is she in love with him or something?"

"Sadly, she is" Neji replied with a sigh.

"I feel sorry for her" Tenten stated. Neji looked at Tenten and asked:

"Why? He is quite harmless, not to mention really dense"

"Not because of him, but… well I feel sorry for her because love is well… in my opinion a curse, which always lends us to misery and pain, no matter what. Love cannot stop death from taking everyone you love away from you because in the end love gives birth to more sorrow than happiness" Tenten said with cold, serious tone.

Neji looked at Tenten with a somewhat surprised look on his face before he closed his eyes and smiled while he said:

"I agree with you, love does hurt us more than it makes us happy. It is sad, but very true"

Tenten looked at Neji with soft smile on her lips.

"Yeah, it is sad" She agreed with a hint of sadness in her soft-spoken voice.

"W-what h-happened? Where I am?" A confused sounding voice asked softly.

Neji and Tenten looked down and saw that Hinata had woken up.

"Lady Hinata?"

"Hero's cute cousin?"

Hinata was taken a bit aback when she suddenly found herself in the arms of Neji's friend, Tenten.

She blinked.

"Ummm you know you can call me Hinata" Hinata softly told Tenten, who smiled at her.

"Fine, cute Hinata!"

"Hinata is just fine" Hinata tried once again.

"Tenten, you heard her, she wants you to call her 'Hinata', not anything with the word 'cute' in it" Neji clarified Hinata's words to Tenten.

Tenten stuck her tongue out at Neji.

"Tsk, you are such a child" Neji muttered under his breath.

"Rather a free-spirited child than a humorless adult" Tenten joked.

"I do have humo-"

"NARUTO UZUMAKI!" The same voice that had yelled at few moments ago yelled out loud once again.

"Ino?" A startled Hinata mumbled in confusement. Looking around her only to realize that her handmaiden was not in sight.

"Ino? Who is Ino?" Tenten asked Hinata with curios looking eyes.

"Ino is Hinata's handmaiden, as well as Hinata's mother substitute" Neji explained to Tenten, who opened her mouth in a 'o' like shape when the word 'mother substitute' escaped Neji's mouth.

"Mother substitute?" Tenten repeated while she rubbed her chin, trying to understand what Neji was implying.

"Cousin Neji, why are being so unfair? She is not my mother substitute, she s my friend!" Hinata looked at her cousin annoyingly.

"A friend with a mother complex" Neji shortly replied before he started to walk away.

"Where are you going, cousin Neji?" Hinata asked her cousin.

"Yeah, trying to get away from me?" Tenten shouted after Neji while she ran after him.

Neji stopped walking, which caused Tenten to run right into his back and fell into the ground on her bottom.

"Ow!"

"Are you okay, Tenten?" Hinata asked Tenten with a worried look on her pale face. Hinata ran over to Tenten and tried affectless to help the fallen woman.

Tenten stood up, ignoring Hinata's attempt to help her up and breathed out:

"I am sorry if I may sound rude, but do not try and help me" Tenten looked at Hinata with cold eyes.

Hinata found herself standing still as she saw the look in Tenten's eyes. Cold, shadowy brown eyes stared right into Hinata's pale lavender ones.

Such cold, icy look.

It reminded her of… that look, that awful day, the feeling of being helpless.

"_The only person I have seen looking at me like that was Neji back when I wanted to comfort him after my father told us that Neji's father had been killed. Have she too experienced something similar?" _Hinata wondered to herself as she remembered how cold and angry Neji's eyes were back then _it _happened.

**FLASHBACK**

A young Hinata was playing with a young Neji and a very young Hanabi in the giant Hyuuga manor's garden.

The fall had just begun.

"Cousin Neji, cousin Neji, look at what I found in the garden!" An exciting sounding Hanabi said to her older cousin as she showed him a big, red apple.

Neji smiled at his younger cousin.

"That is a really nice looking apple you got there Hanabi, where did you found it?" Neji asked.

Hanabi jumped in excitement and began, eagerly, to point out where found it.

"Over there! Over there!" She replied eagerly.

In her eagerness the apple was thrown out of her hand, but was luckily catch by Neji.

"Careful, Hanabi" Neji explained to Hanabi as he gave her the apple back. Hanabi nodded her head and ran over to her sister.

"Sister, sister! Look, I found an apple!" Hanabi yelled to Hinata, who was watering the flowers.

Hinata looked at the apple and smiled at her sister.

"That apple looks tasty, it is for me?" Hinata asked her sister innocently.

"No, it is mine!" Hanabi pulled the apple close to her chest. Both Neji and Hinata laughed at her reaction.

Suddenly the joyful moment seemed to vanish as one of the maid came up to them with serious look on her face.

"The master has requested to see Lady Hinata and Neji, please follow me" The maid said before she turned around and walked back into the manor.

Neji looked at his cousins.

"You stay here and wait for us while we are away, Hanabi" Neji told his younger cousin, who nodded her head.

"Okay, I will wait here and look for more apples!" Hanabi replied with bright smile.

Neji smiled softly at Hanabi before he turned to Hinata and said:

"We better go, Hinata"

Hinata nodded.

"Yeah" The two left afterwards, running over to the maid, who was waiting at the entrance of the manor.

Once they had arrived at Hiashi's study the maid left.

"Uncle?" Neji looked at his uncle with confused eyes.

Hiashi was standing in the middle of the dark room with narrowed eyes and somewhat frustrated, yet sad look on his face.

"Neji," Neji looked up at his uncle, "I am sorry, but I have to inform you that your father…my brother… has left …this world" Hiashi finished with devastated look.

Neji blinked confusedly at his uncle. He felt a sudden need to cry and a sudden feeling of loneliness.

"W-what do you m-mean by l-left this w-world, uncle?" Neji confusingly asked his uncle.

Hiashi looked down at his nephew with sad expression, finding it hard to be the one to ruin the happiness of his nephew by telling him the cold reality.

That his father was dead! Gone! Never coming back to his son! Just like his mother!

"Your father, Neji, is dead, he was killed" Neji's eyes widened and his eyes became teary as the words escaped Hiashi's lips.

"N-no, m-my *sob* f-father is not *sob* d-dead! He cannot die! He told me himself! He promised to come back! He *sob* promised!" Neji cried as in pure agony. Tears falling endlessly from his small, pale cheeks as he collapsed on the ground.

His father could not be dead! No! It is all lies, lies!

Not far away from the crying Neji stood a frozen Hinata.

Silent tears where fallen down her own cheeks as she watched her cousin cry.

She walked over to him and attempted to comfort him by wrapping her arms around him, but he pushed her away coldly.

"Do not touch me!" Neji gave Hinata a look of pure hate and anger. A look that could freeze hell over.

A look that Hinata would never forget.

Cold pale eyes.

Hinata from off.

"Sister? What happened? Where is cousin Neji? Why are you crying? Sister?" Hinata's sister continuously asked her sister, who did not answer a single one of them.

Uncle Hizashi was gone and cousin Neji would never be the same person again.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Hinata?"

"Huh?" Hinata broke out of her thoughts and found herself staring into Tenten's clear, brown eyes.

"_Her eyes are back to normal" _Hinata blinked.

"Are you coming or not?" Tenten asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"Oh, of course!" Hinata ran over to join Neji and Tenten.

Tenten grinned at Hinata.

"Oh that reminds me," Tenten recalled something, "I am sorry if I frightened you back then, I did not mean to scare you like that" Tenten apologized sincerely.

Hinata looked at her cousin, then back at Tenten with a skeptic look.

"Cousin Neji, made you apologize, did he not?" Hinata asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"No, he did not! Like I will ever obey _his _orders?" Tenten denied with red cheeks. Neji merely smirked at Tenten while Hinata giggled.

"I accept your apologize, but I am sorry as well. While I do not know you like Neji do, I do know that you like to do things on your own and I had forgotten that, sorry" Hinata bowed down apologetically.

"Know me well? He has only known me for a day" Tenten pointed out as if Neji knew nothing of importance about her.

"I believe I know you better than you think, Tenten" Neji smugly said.

"Tsk as if" Tenten stubbornly replied.

"Ehm were we not supposed to go look for Ino?" Hinata looked hopelessly at the two, feeling a bit like the third wheel.

"Oh right, off we go!" Tenten shouted out pointing her arm out in a random direction.

"Wrong direction, Tenten" Neji commented. Tenten's ears turned red.

"Shut it, hero!"

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

We got a flashback involving Tenten's past in the previous chapter and now we got one involving Neji's past from Hinata's point of view. Hinata sees similarities between them that they are unaware of and the maids ship them together!

Ino and Tenten share a few similarities. But while Tenten is a fighter, who can travel alone with just a dagger, Ino is not a fighter, just a woman with dangerous temper xD

Oh and Kiba is developing a crush on Ino ;)

Leave a **review **and tell me what you thought of the chapter :)


	8. Ch 7: A Sense Of Lecturing

**A/N: **Chapter 7 is finally up, I apologize for the slight delay ^^' Hope you all are going to enjoy it!

I apologize for any grammar errors /spelling mistakes there may or might be. I try my best to avoid as many as possible.

**Main pairing: **Nejiten  
**Side pairing(s): **Naruhina and possible others  
**Warning(s): **Possible OOCness, medieval era, mild mature hints,

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto!

* * *

**A Sense of Duty  
Chapter 7: A Sense of Lecturing**

"Now, have I made myself clear?" Ino asked Naruto and Kiba with a harsh tone.

The two had each received a large, red handprint on their right cheek and both of them where currently on the ground staring at the angry woman before them.

"_Lady Hinata's maid is scary, very scary" _Naruto told himself while he caressed his sore cheek.

"_Running into crazy, yet beautiful women seems to have become a habit, a really painful habit" _Kiba thought to himself as he sighed deeply.

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" The angry blond shouted at them loudly, startling the two men.

"Yes, sir-oops I mean yes, miss! We understand!" Naruto hastily spoke out. Kiba nodded his head and said:

"Completely! We have learned our lesson! Naruto to will never call Lady Hinata cute again!"

"Indeed! Lady Hinata cute? No, no, no, she is not cute! She is… ehm anything, but cute!" Naruto spoke out with a foolish grin on his face.

Ino looked at Naruto with angry eyes before she hit him on top of the head.

"Ow! Why did you hit me?" Naruto asked while he rubbed his head.

Ino took a hold on Naruto by his collar and pulled his face close to hers.

"I told you not to yell them out loud, not mean the opposite. I will personally hunt your down if you ever hurt Lady Hinata's pride in any way you possibly can!" Ino warned Naruto before she released her hold on his collar.

Naruto hit the ground and rubbed his sor neck as he lifted himself up to look at Ino.

"But… Ino, right?" Ino looked at Naruto, "Why do you care so much about what I say or yell out about Lady Hinata, I mean no harm with them. They are just harmless compliments, Kiba talks about her too, but it was me you are angry at. Why is that?" Naruto looked at Ino with confused looking eyes.

Ino hard eyes turned somewhat soft before she replied:

"Because while you may not be completely unaware of it, the things you say about Milady means quite a lot to her personally and I would hate to see her sad because of something you may have said without actually thinking of the consequences they may have"

"I am still not understanding it" Naruto cocked his head to the side confusedly.

"No wonder everyone calls you dense, if you cannot see the obvious" Ino pointed out.

"I am not dense! I am very good at figuring things out" Naruto defended himself.

"Sure, Naruto, and my mother is the royal gardener" Kiba sarcastically said to Naruto.

"Really? How come you never told me? I thought she was a dog tamer" Naruto looked at Kiba surprisely while Kiba face palmed himself.

"Idiot! She is a dog tamer!" Kiba informed Naruto.

"But, but you just told me she was the royal gardener?" Naruto looked at his friend with a completely lost look on his face.

"It is called being sarcastic, Naruto, you know an ironic way of speaking" Kiba explained to Naruto.

"Ahhhh- Wait, what does ironic mean?" Naruto asked with clueless expression on his face, which caused Kiba to fell over.

"Idiots" Ino muttered under her.

"Ino!" A voice called out.

Ino, quickly recognizing the voice, turned around.

"Lady Hinata, you have woken up? Are you okay?" Ino asked her master with a concern look on her face. Ino ran over to Hinata and placed her hands on her master's shoulders.

"I am fine, Ino, no need to worry" Hinata smiled kindly at her handmaiden.

Ino sighed out in relief.

"Thank goodness, I was so worried about you, but not to worry! I have just taught those two fools a lesson they will never forget, you will never faint in the middle of nowhere ever again!" Ino assured Hinata.

"Okay? What exactly did you do?" Hinata asked Ino, having an odd feeling about Ino's way of teaching a lesson.

"Oh nothing really, just a quick little, harmless talk," Ino smiled warmly, "With my fist" Ino then turned and with open arms she pointed at Naruto and Kiba, who both had a handprint covered cheek.

"Hello Lady Hinata, how are yo-OW!" Naruto received a slam to the head. "What did you do that for, Kiba?" Naruto looked at Kiba while holding on to his head, protecting it from getting slammed at once more.

"You are such an idiot, Naruto!" Kiba yelled at Naruto, who looked at him completely cluelessly.

"How am I an idiot? What did I do wrong?"

Kiba face palmed himself.

"Well because Ino just told you that the things you say can cause Lady Hinata great harm, which means no talking to Lady Hinata" Kiba explained to his dense companion.

"But all I was going to ask was how she was today" Naruto blinked.

"She just fainted you idiot, what person would feel fine if they have just fainted?" Kiba asked with an outrageous expression.

"Ehehe… No idea" Naruto admitted miserable.

"I figured" Kiba muttered with an unimpressed expression.

From afar Hinata watched Kiba and Naruto speak. She looked at Ino with a confused expression when she heard what Ino apparently had told them.

"_I know Ino is only trying to help me by telling Naruto not to act as wild and energetic around me , but I really do enjoy this side of him even if he is completely unaware of the feelings I have for him. I would hate it if he stopped speaking to me" _Hinata thought to herself.

Hinata took a deep breath.

"_Here goes nothing, I have to defend Naruto's friendly nature!" _Hinata told herself with determination as she open her mouth to speak, but someone else beat her at it.

"Excuse me, _mother_, but why are you being so harsh on those guys especially that Naruto fellow? I admit he is… well they both are idiots and perverts, but I am sure they had no intentions of making Hinata faint. It is not their fault that Hinata is in lo-Mmmm" A pale hand covered Tenten's mouth, preventing her of finishing her sentence.

"I think you got you point out, Tenten, no need to say things that are not yours to tell" Neji told Tenten as he removed his hand from her mouth.

Tenten gave Neji an annoyed look.

"Never do that again" Tenten warned Neji with a pointy finger, Neji merely shrugged his shoulder.

"We will see"

"Who are you calling 'mother', your harlot!" Ino snapped, glaring at Tenten with angry eyes.

"I-Ino, please be nice" Hinata desperately tried to calm Ino down, but it was already too late.

Tenten had heard her.

"What did you just call me?" Tenten looked at Ino with dark expression and anger filled eyes.

"I do not think I need to repeat myself, you heard me clear enough" Ino replied while she glared at Tenten harshly.

"Do," Tenten lifted her skirt up a bit, "Not" She moved her hand towards her thigh, "Insult" She took her dagger firmly in her hand, "Me" Tenten lifted her hand, ready to attack the blond, but was stopped.

By Neji.

"Tenten," Neji began, "Please, drop your weapon. She did not mean to insult you that harshly, she was acting out of anger just like you are now! She does not know you and how you feel about your own pride, just like you do not know her and how she feels about her pride" Neji softly spoke into Tenten's ear while he ran a hand through Tenten's hair, trying to calm her down.

Tenten let out a sigh.

Her grip on her dagger loosened and the dagger slipped through her hands.

The dagger fell to the ground.

Everyone was in shock.

"_Cousin Neji, really likes her more than he is aware of" _Hinata thought to herself as she watched the display before her.

"_How come sir Neji has luck with the angry ladies and I do not" _Kiba wondered to himself, feeling jealous of Neji.

"_Am I allowed to say 'hello' to Lady Hinata or is it still forbidden?" _Naruto asked himself confusedly.

"_Is this the woman Lady Hinata was talking about? The one, who her cousin seem to have fallen for?" _Ino blinked while she had a somewhat bad taste in her mouth. Somehow she felt bad for insulting _this woman _without knowing her. It was very unfairly of her to do so.

"_But I was angry and so was she, I guess" _Ino sighed deeply to herself. How she hated feeling guilty.

Meanwhile Tenten was starting to shiver due to Neji's constantly breathing against her neck.

"Stop breathing into my neck, it gives me the chills!" Tenten shouted out with reddish cheeks as she pushed Neji away from her.

Neji merely chuckled, but said nothing to her instead he looked at Ino and said:

"While I really could care less about Tenten feeling insulted or not, I do not enjoy being stuck with Tenten when she is angry. So could be so kind and say sorry, you do not even have to mean it" Neji whispered the last part.

Ino lowered her eyebrows skeptically before she shrugged and said:

"Sure, she deserves an apology anyway. I admit that I was not being fair towards your lady"

"_Your lady?" _Neji's ears picked up at what Ino had said in the end.

"She is not my-" Neji stopped speaking when he realized that Ino was not listening to him anymore.

Ino had walked over to Tenten, who had just placed her dagger back to where it belonged.

"Miss Tenten?" Ino began.

Tenten looked up. Her eyes had softened and instead of dark brown, they were back to their usual hazel brown.

"That is my name if you quit the miss" Tenten replied.

"Fine, Tenten it is then," Ino nodded her head acknowledging, "I wanted to apologize for insulting you so harshly by calling you such a discriminated word, it was uncalled of me to do so" Ino bowed her head apologetically.

Tenten looked at bit surprised, but gave Ino a smile.

"It is as easy as forgotten, I am sorry I called you mother, but I only did so because Neji here told me that you have somewhat of a mother complex when it comes to Hinata, also I did not know what else to call you" Tenten grinned.

Everyone looked practically dumbfoundedly at Tenten.

"_That woman's emotions are completely out of control and so unpredictable!" _Everyone thought to themselves.

"Did sir Neji really say that?" Ino asked Tenten. The look on her face told everyone that she was not in the mood to be fooled with.

"He did!" Tenten answered with a grin.

"No, I did not!" Neji denied.

"Did too!" Tenten shouted out loud.

"I did not!" Neji shouted back loudly.

"I think you did actually, cousin Neji" Hinata told her cousin.

"Yeah, Hinata! Take that, Neji!" Tenten cheerfully exclaimed.

"Whose side are you on?" Neji asked his younger cousin with angry eyes.

"Ehmm no one's side!" Hinata awkwardly tried to say.

"She is on my side, Neji, because she agrees with me" Tenten grinned smugly as she stuck her tongue out at Neji while she pulled an arm over Hinata's shoulder, pulling the pale girl to her side.

"I am sorry, cousin Neji" Hinata apologized.

"Nevermind, does it really matter. Hinata is fine, the two idiots have learned their lesson, at least for today. You and Tenten somehow managed to put aside anger and bury the hatchet, everything worked out well in the end" Neji calmly explained.

"Maybe, but I still deserves an explanation for why you think I have a mother complex" Ino told Neji.

Neji sighed out:

"Fine, you worry too much about Hinata like an overprotected mother," Neji looked at Tenten, "Tenten, we have to go now"

"What? Where? Right now?" Tenten blinked as Neji took Tenten by the wrist and dragged her off to where he only knows.

"You call that a proper explanation? Come back here, sir Neji, and explain yourself properly! I demand a proper explanation!" Ino yelled after them.

"Ino, calm down" Hinata tried to reason with Ino, who was clenching her hands in frustration.

"By God's name!" Ino cursed under her breath.

"No need to curse, Ino" Hinata insisted with a nervous smile on her face.

"Awww Lady Hinata is so kind" Naruto uttered out a little bit too loud.

"Shhh Naruto, she must not hear you or else she might faint again" Kiba reminded Naruto.

"Oh right"

* * *

Inside the manor Neji was still dragging Tenten along with him.

"Where are you dragging me off? Could you please release my wrist, I can almost not feel it! Why did we even have to go? I do not remember you telling me we were going somewhere aside from checking on Hinata" Tenten continued to ask Neji questions as he dragged her off.

Neji stopped walking and turned to look at Tenten.

"You do remember that I told you my uncle had invited someone over to help me teach you a little about proper mannerism, do you not?" Neji asked with raised eyebrow.

Tenten looked at Neji for a moment before she admitted:

"No, I do not" Neji almost fell over.

"And why do you not remember? I told you at lunch that the son of the queen's advisor was going to come over" Neji explained to Tenten.

**FLASHBACK**

Neji looked at Tenten with shocked expression.

"_That Tenten has literally no sense of proper eating manners!" _Neji told himself as he watched Tenten skip between slurping the soup and chewing the breed and carrots loudly with her mouth open.

"Tenten, stop slurping and close your mouth while you chew, it is disgusting to watch" Neji demandingly told Tenten, who stuck her tongue out at him in a child-like manner.

"Just let me enjoy my meal and keep your mind off my eating habits" Tenten replied while she continued to chew her food.

"I would have loved to just let you do as you please, but the deal we made with my uncle includes me teaching you some proper manners and that also means," Neji paused, ", Tenten, no elbows on the table!" Neji almost yelled while he pointed at Tenten elbows, which she had placed on the table.

"My elbows do no harm to the food, so I really do not see the problem in them being on table in fact I can use them to support my head when I get tired of you and your manner talking" Tenten gave a teaseful yawn.

Neji sighed.

"Well then it is a good thing that I have someone, who is ready to help me teach you some manners" Neji smiled to himself as he spoke.

"What?" Tenten looked surprised.

"Yeah, you heard me. I figured I could not teach you simple mannerism on my own, so I managed to ask my uncle to invite a certain friend of mine over to help me what should we call," Neji rubbed his chin, "Oh yeah tame you" Neji finished.

"You have friends?!" Tenten blinked shockingly, completely missing the comment Neji made about taming her. Neji's face turned red and he yelled:

"Of course, I have!"

"Unbelievable" Tenten mumbled under her breath.

"Nevermind, my friend is the son of the queen's advisor, so he is kind of an expert when it comes to manners and etiquette" Neji explained calmly.

"I really cannot stand advisors!" Tenten moaned out miserable.

"And why not?" Neji asked Tenten, who was crying fake tears of misery.

"They take rules far too seriously!" Tenten cried out.

"I am sorry you feel that way about advisors, but my friend is only a son of one, not one himself" Neji clarified to Tenten, hoping she would stop complaining like a 5 year old.

"Okay, so do you friend have a name? Or should I just call him 'advisor son'?" Tenten asked Neji at short moment after.

Neji looked at Tenten for a moment before he answered:

"His name is Shikamaru Nara"

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Oh yeah, that name does sound familiar to me in a way" Tenten admitted while she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Why did I say yes to my uncle's stupid deal again?" Neji asked as he sighed.

"Something with you wanting to become a part of some knights" Tenten replied without much care it whether she was right or not.

"It is the Knights of Konoha!" Neji corrected Tenten with an annoyed look. How dare she call THE Knights of Konoha just SOME knights! The nerve of her!

"No idea who they are" Tenten told Neji much to Neji's horror. How could she not know them? The best of the best warriors in the Kingdom of Konoha! The Knights of THE queen, the protected of Konoha, the ones Neji wish to become like to honor his decease father and bring glory to his family!

"What?" Tenten looked at Neji confusedly, "Why are you looking at me as if you have seen a ghost or something?"

Neji placed his hands on Tenten shoulders and looked her deep into the eyes as he said:

"How can you not have heard of the Knights of Konoha, everyone knows them!"

"Well not everyone since I do not know them" Tenten pointed out.

"Well then," Neji took a breath, "I guess I have no choice, but to explain to you who they are"

"But what about your friend, the advisor son? Was we not supposed to meet him soon?" Tenten asked while she cocked her head to the side.

"We are, but he will not arrive until later" Neji explained to Tenten, who looked at him surprisely.

"Wait a moment! I thought we were in a hurry! Then why did you drag me off when he has yet to arrive?" Tenten asked demandingly.

Neji blushed faintly while he avoided eye contact.

"Because," Neji paused, "I could not let you and my cousin's handmaiden, Ino, be with each other for too long" Neji finished while he looked away from Tenten.

"Why not?" Tenten asked Neji, getting a bit annoyed by the fact that he was trying avoid eye contact with her.

Neji looked at her with narrowed eyes and faint red cheeks.

"Because I fear the consequences of you two getting along far more than you two not getting along with each other" Neji admitted.

Tenten looked at Neji for a moment.

She blinked.

And a Cheshire cat smile appeared on her face.

"Tenten, remove that smile on your face this instant!" Neji ordered Tenten. He did not like that look, at all! That woman and her perverted way for thinking, always trying to catch him in a weak moment!

"Why?" Tenten cocked her head to the side with an innocent expression on her face.

"B-because it is very annoying!" Neji lied with a faint pink blush on his cheeks.

"Fine!" Tenten crossed her arms over her chest while she turned her head away.

"Tenten?" No response. "Tenten?" Still no response. "Tenten?" Once again, no response from the angry miss.

Neji narrowed his eyes and bit his own lip in annoyance of being ignored. Oh, how he just hated being ignored in such a childish manner.

"TENTEN!"

"Okay, I give up! What?" Tenten finally gave in.

"The Knights of Konoha" Neji said shortly, expecting Tenten to remember what they were talking about a few moments ago.

"The who?" Tenten blinked and Neji grew pissed.

"Let us go to the study" Neji said as he walked off.

"What! Why? Hello, wait for me your stupid bastard hero!" Tenten yelled after Neji as she ran after him.

* * *

Bored looking eyes stared at the main entrance to the Hyuuga manor.

Dressed in a simple loose dress shirt, black trouser, brown leather boots and with his brown hair pulled up in semi-loose high ponytail, Shikamaru Nara sighed deeply to himself.

"_I could really use a nap" _He thought to himself as he walked up to the door and knocked on it.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

Shikamaru knocked on the door three times. A moment afterwards a maid opened up the door.

"Can I help you sir?" The maid asked politely.

"Yes, I was invited over by Lord Hiashi to help his nephew with something" Shikamaru explained to the maid, who nodded her head.

"Oh yes, Lord Hiashi did mention a sir Nara coming over" The maid recalled.

"Well that will be me, Shikamaru Nara at your service, miss" Shikamaru replied. He bowed slightly at the maid causing the maid to blush a slight pink color out embarrassment for not realizing that he was the guest her master had mentioned.

"Oh welcome sir Nara!" The maid bowed, "I will escort you to Lord Hiashi right away" The maid explained politely. She moved away from the door, letting Shikamaru walk in before she closed the door behind him.

"Follow me, sir Nara" The maid said as she began to walk towards her master.

Shikamaru followed her. Despite the fact that he had visited the Hyuuga family plenty of times not all the maids seem to know him and he never knew where Neji or where Neji's uncle were in the giant manor.

"_Sometimes I wonder why they have to have so many rooms! It is like the queen's castle too many rooms to too few people!" _Shikamaru thought to himself as he followed the maid.

The maid stopped in front of a room and knocked on the door.

*Knock* *Knock*

"Who is it?" A male voice asked from inside the room.

"I have brought sir Nara to you as you told me to do, Master Hiashi" The maid explained.

"Send him in" Hiashi informed the maid, who nodded her head and turned to Shikamaru.

"You can walk in, I will make my leave now" The maid bowed before she left.

Shikamaru walked over to the door, took the handle and pushed the door open.

Inside the room Hiashi was setting by his desk writing. He turned on his chair and said:

"Ah Shikamaru, it is good to see you" Hiashi greeted Shikamaru politely.

"It is good to be here, it had been awhile since I have been here" Shikamaru replied while he bowed politely.

"It has, now tell how are you parents doing?" Hiashi asked Shikamaru kindly.

"Great, I guess" Shikamaru answered.

"Oh good, good!" Hiashi chuckled.

"I am sorry, Lord Hiashi, but I am guessing you did not invite me over just to talk about my parents, I am right?" Shikamaru assumed with a suspicious look on his face.

Hiashi chuckled:

"You are correct as always, you truly are an intellect young man, Shikamaru"

"So, why did you invite me over, Lord Hiashi?" Shikamaru pressed.

"Well technically it was not my idea to invite you over" Hiashi explained to Shikamaru. Shikamaru nodded his head slowly before he replied:

"I figured. It was Neji, right?" Hiashi nodded his head, "What do he needs help with?"

"A girl" Hiashi replied shortly.

Shikamaru blinked.

Shikamaru was left speechless, he was in shock.

"_A girl? Neji needing help with a girl? Neji with a girl? Neji liking a girl? Neji meeting a girl in the first place? A girl like a real girl in flesh and bones?" _Shikamaru thought to himself shockingly. He could not believe his own ears.

Another thought run through his head.

Why did Neji need HIS help?

"_Like I am any better at girls than him, I am just like him! My duty comes before my love life, which is quite none-existing!" _Shikamaru reminded himself.

"Why does he need my help? It is not like I am any better at girls than him" Shikamaru looked at Hiashi with a questioning look.

Hiashi suddenly started to chuckled loudly.

"Oh no, no! Not helping him in THAT manner!" Hiashi informed Shikamaru with humorous expression.

"Oh," Shikamaru blinked, "Then please enlighten me in what exact manner does he needs help with?" Shikamaru crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke.

"Well to make a long story short yesterday I told my nephew to go relax and he returns with a girl, well woman to be exact, with a quite colorful personality I might add. I made a deal with them in the form of a challenge. They must learn from each other and one of the things my nephew needs to teach his new _friend _isproper manners of a lady" Hiashi finished his explanation.

"Okay and that brings me back to my previews question, why does he need my help?" Shikamaru asked once again.

"Apparently my nephew has a little bit of trouble with her and needs a little bit of guidance" Hiashi answered.

"Okay, so do you by any chance know where you nephew is right at the moment? Or do I have to for him myself?" Shikamaru looked at Hiashi, hoping he would know the answer since having to look around the entire manor after Neji would be a pain in the behind.

"I may be his guardian, but I am not his nanny" Neji told Shikamaru, who lifted an eyebrow.

"So you do not no where he is?" Shikamaru asked, feeling a bit disappointed.

"Yes, I do not know for sure, but he is most likely either in the garden or in one of the study rooms" Hiashi explained while he took a seat down on his chair and lifted his quill up to continue his writing.

"Okay, I think I will go look around and maybe ask the maids. It was good seeing you, Lord Hiashi" Shikamaru said to Hiashi as he made his departure.

As he had left the room he sighed to himself deeply while leaning against the door.

"_I guess my nape has to wait for later, you own me one, Neji" _Shikamaru tiresomely thought to himself as he began his searching for Neji and Neji's _girl _friend.

* * *

In the study Neji had began his explanation about The Knights of Konoha.

"The Knights of Konoha, also known as the Queen's knights, are the best of the best swordsmen in the Kingdom of Konoha. The original ones were chosen by the Queen herself, but the new ones are chosen by the older members now because the Queen is too busy ruling our wonderful kingdom to take care of selecting new members" Neji explained with proud look on his face.

Tenten, on the other hand, looked somewhat bored.

"That was it? I was expecting a long history lesson, not one this short" Tenten admitted bluntly.

Neji looked at Tenten sternly and said:

"I am not done yet, so please no speaking until I am finished talking"

Tenten looked a little bit taken by surprise.

"B-but you-"

"Hush, Tenten, I am not done talking" Neji cut Tenten off by lifting a judging finger at her.

"Tsk" Tenten mumbled under her breath.

Neji choice to ignore her and continue his explanation:

"The Knights of Konoha are considered to be the heroes of my kingdom, unlike most other swordsmen they are not forgotten even after they have died. No, they are remembered and their memory forever lives on, which is one of the reasons why my main goal in life is become one, a knight of Konoha" Neji finished.

Tenten looked at Neji with a bit of surprised look on her face.

"So your reason for wanting to become one of them is to be remembered after your death?" Neji nodded his head, "That is… quite lame of you" Tenten bluntly admitted.

Neji gave Tenten an outrageous look.

"Excuse me? Lame of me? How is that lame of me?" Neji demandingly asked Tenten, who shrugged and replied:

"Well because it is lame of you, your main goal in life is practically to be remembered"

"Who does not want to be remembered?" Neji questioned Tenten.

"That is not what I mean, what I mean is that you have a family that surely would remember you, so I really do not understand why you need the whole kingdom to remember you" Tenten explained.

"I would love to explain my reasons more deeply, but they are far too personal for me to discuss them with someone, who I barely know or fully trust" Neji told Tenten honesty. It was true his reasons from what he had told Tenten sounded quite arrogant and he would have loved to give her the _real_ reason, but sadly he cannot because the real reason is too personal for him to explain it!

"The feeling is mutual, Hero," Tenten winked at Neji, "We both hold a dislike towards each other, but are forced together by your weird uncle" Tenten finished with a grin.

"You are right on that, I guess we could see our relationship as a love-hate relationship" Neji said with a somewhat suggesting tone in his voice.

"Guess so since you apparently just love to hate me" Tenten teased Neji with a sly smile on her face.

Neji flushed and looked away.

"No, I do not!"

"Hehe, if you say so" Tenten rolled her eyes.

Neji sighed deeply.

"Tenten, why do you have to be such a pain all the time?" Neji asked Tenten, who looked at him confusedly before she grinned and answered:

"Because I love the way you react!"

"The way I react?" Neji blinked confusedly.

Tenten nodded her head eagerly:

"Yeah, annoying you just makes my day!"

"How can you be so sure, you have only known be for a day" Neji wondered.

"I could always show you" Tenten told Neji with a sly expression that Neji did not notice.

Neji shrugged and replied:

"Fine, be my guest and show me"

And Tenten did.

By tackling Neji to the ground.

Neji winced a bit. Fallen on your back hurts quite a bit after all unless you hit something soft, which Neji, unluckily, did not. Nope, he the cold and hard woody floor.

Feeling a shifting weight moving on top of his hips and chest area Neji opened his eyes and saw…

Tenten sitting on top of him with a sly grin on face.

Oh how Neji did not like that sly expression on her face.

"Get off of me, Tenten" Neji managed to say while he winced a bit.

"No," Tenten shifted a bit, "Because this is annoying to you and that was what you asked me to show you" Tenten said while she moved her face closer to Neji's.

Neji could feel Tenten's breath on his lips.

Pale, lavender orbs meets deep, brown orbs.

The weight on Neji's torso increased as Tenten used all her weight to keep Neji from getting off of her.

Neji opened his mouth to speak out again, but someone else beat him at it.

"Well this is surprising"

Both Neji and Tenten froze and turned they heads towards the intruder.

A man dressed in white and black with his dark hair pulled into a high ponytail was standing, leaning against the entrance with sly smile on his face.

Tenten blinked confusedly while Neji's eyes narrowed, knowing who the man was and what he was thinking.

"_Shikamaru Nara, this is not what you think it is, I can only a sure you that" _

To be continued…

* * *

**A/N: **Done! Hope you enjoyed it! :D

More moments between Neji and Tenten ;) True be told Neji and Tenten does not see their moments as romantic… yet! But everyone else does!

Shikamaru has been introduced, I just love writing him!

Leave a **review **and tell what you think :)


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